Luna's Story
by 12kirby12
Summary: My name is Luna Elvira Night. My powers surfaced when I was two, then disappeared until about five years of age. I am a mutant. This is my story.
1. Flashback Part 1

This is my revised story to "Luna's Story X Men WOOT!" for those who don't know. The updates will probably be slower, considering I'm re-writing most of it. I really hope this version is better than my old one, and I want y'all to know that once I'm satisfied with the beginning half or so, there is a possibility that I will just copy my original story to this one, then delete the other story. Fair warning, I'm a little insane, but in a good way XD

So anyways, here's my favorite little phrase to begin each chapter:

ON TO LUNA!!

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The memories resurfaced again. I was only two years old when my powers surfaced. I was abandoned, lost, scared. I sat by the road and cried, screaming for my mother to return, to come back to me. The tears streamed down my face and there was a noise behind me.

_*FLASHBACK: AROUND MIDNIGHT, SIDE OF THE ROAD, ALONE*_

_ I cried for my mother to come back, waited for hours, but she never came back for me. There were a couple of nice, uniformed men standing nearby, so on unsteady legs, I made my way over to them._

_ "Who's this?" one of the men picked me up and looked carefully at me. "Poor thing, she's shivering."_

_ "Aw, jus' leave 'er." the other guard said, grabbing me and setting me in the road. "Scram!" he said, pushing me with his boot. I caught sight his hand straying towards his gun._

_ "NO!" I screamed, wobbling as I stood._

_ "Hey, Mack. I know your girl just left you and all, but look at her! She's all alone out here and- HEY!" he shouted as he caught sight of me stumbling away. "Now look what you did!" he yelled at his friend._

_ I was almost to the side of the road when a car lost control and hit me. I could only stop and stare as the bright lights loomed ever closer to me. Then, there was only pain in my body._

_ I woke up a short time later to three concerned faces peering down at me. "Sh-She's awake!" the woman who had hit me stammered out, looking at my face in horror._

_ "She's a mutie!" the guy called Mack spat, grabbing for his gun._

_ "Stop!" the other man said. "Just because we are the M.R.D. does not mean we have to kill her. Just leave her there and we'll all pretend like this never happened."_

_ I don't remember what happened after that due to the fact that I fainted upon hearing those words._

_ I woke again, confused and sleepy. I stumbled into an alleyway, glancing around for someone to help me. No one was around, I was alone. I curled up in an empty box, closed my eyes, and fell asleep, wishing for my parents to love me again._

_********************************_

_ *TIME JUMP: THREE YEARS LATER*_

_ Greetings again. I've skipped you ahead three years, since nothing has happened. Well, I take that back. About a year ago, I met these strange people. I was walking around, looking for loose change, hiding from people, and in general just trying to survive._

_ Suddenly, this HUGE shape stepped right in front of me. I screamed and ran, looking wildly around for somewhere to hide._

_ This blur suddenly whipped past me, messing up my short fur. Read that again, I have fur. Short fur, tiger striped, orange on left side, white on the right. I had a tail that was mixed orange and white, and golden cat eyes that glowed in the darkness. My ears were pointed and positioned on the top of my head. In short, I looked like a freak. _

_ "Heyshortstuff. Whatareyadoinallalone?" I couldn't keep up with his fast speech. I stopped and he held still, though I could still see his muscles quiver slightly beneath his silver and green getup._

_ "What?" I said, shaking my head._

_ "Quicksilver said: why are you all alone?" the giant creature said, waddling over to us. He had a Mohawk and didn't seem like the kind of guy you wanted to mess with._

_ "Momma left me." I muttered, not meeting their eyes. My eyes darted around, searching for escape routes._

_ "Hey, don't be afraid." a third mutant showed up. He had a red outfit on and some kind of shield in front of his face attached to a helmet on his head. "I'm Lance Alvers, or Avalanche. This is Fred Dukes, or blob, and Pietro Maximoff, or Quicksilver." he said, pointing to the fat guy and Speedy in turn._

_ "Luna Elvira Night." I said shyly._

_ "Well, Luna, how about you come with us? There's a place we want you to see." Lance said, picking me up and carrying me._

_ We arrived at a run-down shack, with a wooden sign with peeling letters. Quicksilver was the first one in the door, with Blob... I mean Fred, lumbering along after. Lance set me down inside and shut the door._

_ "Now, we're gonna take care of you, but just remember one thing. If people who say they are the X-Men come after you, tell us right away, got it?" Lance asked._

_ I nodded. "K..." I said softly._

_ "Alright, good. Now, this annoying slimeball here is Todd Tolansky." he said, indicating a green, frog-like man. He was crouched down and had a long, sticky tongue. He caught a fly and ate it._

_ "Ewww..." I said._

_ "Tell me about it. This is Pietro's sister, Wanda. Also called the Scarlet Witch. We had another known as Boom-Boom, but she joined those goody-goody X-Men. Mystique's not around, so you won't have the "pleasure" of meeting her." Lance finished._

_ "Who's that?" I asked, pointing to a woman with black hair and a pure black, leather outfit._

_ "Who? Her? Oh, that's Domino. She's kinda new here." Fred said._

_ I nodded and sat down on the floor. "Do you have anything to eat?" I asked quietly, unused to this many people._

_ "Sure we do, sweetie." Domino said, leaving the room. She came back a minute later with an apple._

_ I took it from her and ate it, careful to eat every last edible bit._

_ "Poor thing." Domino said, watching me eat._

_ I listened as the Brotherhood, as these people were calling themselves, explained what a mutant was and who the X-Men were._

_ "The X-Men are a group of goody-goody two-shoes who save humans, even though they hate us mutants." Fred said in obvious disgust._

_ I nodded. "So," I said slowly, trying to find the words from listening in on church services and the occasional school classroom, "If I see these 'X-Men' I should tell you guys?"_

_ Lance nodded. "Right." he said._

_ I nodded again and yawned._

_ "You better get some sleep." Domino said, already filling the role as my mother._

_ "K." I said quietly, laying down on the old couch and snuggling under a torn blanket._

_*******************_

_ I awoke to gunshots. "We're under attack!" Lance yelled and the earth began to shake._

_ I screamed and held onto the couch as best I could, barely managing to not fall off._

_ "What was that?" I asked, eyes wide and frightened._

_ "That's Avalanche's power. He creates earthquakes." Toad explained._

_ I nodded (my head is on a spring, I think, with all this nodding) and the shaking stopped. I curled up again, crying softly into the blanket, terrified of the gunshots and of what just happened._

_********************_

_ *Time Jump: One Year. Age: about five*_

_ Life with four guys and two girls was pretty hectic. I never met Mystique, I was always conveniently gone when she showed up._

_ My powers started to show up more and more around the time I was thought to be five. I first noticed my senses getting better, sharper. I could hear better than anyone, see better, and also smell better than anyone. I started to change into a tiger cub, first an orange one after watching Animal Planet, then a white one. It scared me, being able to change into an animal, so I stopped. I repressed the transformation, stopped it completely. It wasn't hard, I just didn't think about it and it went away._

_ Well, about the time I turned six, some guy in a weird helmet came for me. He was introduced as Magneto and he told me that he was my father. I half-believed him and he took me to someone called Colonel William Stryker. I only remember a tank full of liquid, something called adamantium, and then... nothing. That part of my memory is just gone, like it was never there. I can only recall one tiny bit of a conversation. It was between Stryker and Magneto._

_ Stryker wasn't aware that I could hear. "You have paid us well, Magneto, for us to transform this so-called 'daughter' of yours into Weapon X. Due to her healing factor, which she knows nothing about, the adamantium bonding was a success. She will never know about the claws in her fingers, or about the training we are about to put her through. She will remain with us for three years, learning all forms of martial arts, fighting styles, and weaponry. Then this part of her memory will be wiped so she can return to your 'family'. You know the plan from there."_

_ I remember waking up one day with no memory of what happened the previous. "Where am I?" I asked, sitting up with a groan._

_ "Back with the Brotherhood." a woman's voice said. It was domino, and she sat beside me on the couch. "You've been gone for a few years, hon. You're nine years old, remember?"_

_ I shook my head. "I only remember you guys, the Brotherhood that is, and the earlier part of my life." I said with a frown._

_ "That's all you need to know." Domino said with a kind smile. "Come on, I'll make you chocolate-chip pancakes."_

_ Finally, I'd had enough of the smelly, filthy house that I had once called home. So I just snuck out one night, climbing through a low window and running into the streets._

_ I walked around for a bit, sticking to the shadows, using my short stature to my advantage. My luck was going good, until I ran into a tall figure._

_ "Hey, slow down there! Settle down, I won't hurtcha." the figure said, bending down to pick me up. "I'm Liam (LEE-um)." he said with a smile. He had sandy-brown hair and deep, forest-green eyes. He walked down the street with me in his arms until we came to a small house._

_ He opened the door, set me down, and handed me a blanket._

_ "There's a bed over there. Here's some soup." He handed me a bowl and I ate the contents gratefully. He watched me with a smile. "You can leave whenever you want, just get some rest tonight." he said._

_ "O.K." I said quietly, curling up on the bed. I gave a small smile and closed my eyes, already falling asleep._


	2. Flashback Part 2

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: Thanks! Glad you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my ideas and OCs... and hopefully my brain :O

Hopefully I can get two chapters a day out, so hope for two tomorrow!

On to Luna!

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_I was gone before Liam woke up the next morning. I rolled out of the bed, opened the door, and slipped out. I found a store, slipped inside, and five minutes later I walked out with brand-new clothes. I had to steal them and I didn't feel good about it, but what could I do? I didn't have any money, I didn't have any family, and I didn't have any friends._

_I glanced around, nostrils flaring slightly at the scent of fresh-baked pretzels. They smelled so good, so buttery and covered with just the right amount of salt. I'd had a soft-baked pretzel once in my life, and I had to steal it, so it didn't taste as good as it should have._

_I forced myself to walk past the vendor, eyes down, but wary. I caught the faint smell of motorcycle oil and hint of beer, then caught the sound of a female voice._

_"I just don't understand it, Logan. The Professor knows he felt something with Cerebro, but it was gone so fast he couldn't pinpoint it."_

_"I know, Jean. Don't worry about it, I'm sure Chuck will have it figured out soon enough."_

_I cautiously looked around to the sound of the voices. They were ahead and slightly to the right of me and when I looked up, the man in the cowboy hat and blue jeans looked right at me. He nudged the red-haired girl by the arm and pointed my way, but I had already ducked down into the crowd. I casually walked into a food store, nabbed an apple, and quietly walked out._

_**********************_

_I didn't know it at the time, but that almost-confrontation was my first run-in with the X-Men. I didn't see them again for a few years, or if I did then I didn't recognize or notice them._

_I kept to myself, eventually going into an adoption program at around seven or eight years old. I went from foster home to foster home, never really fitting in with any family. I stayed with the Murdocks, the Likas, the Dondas, the Yolandas, three sets of Smiths, two sets of Murrays, and the Rodriguez family. I didn't belong anywhere, so I bailed out. I left the orphanage, though I learned some valuable lessons from the kids there._

_Lesson 1: Always guard your food._

_Lesson 2: It pays to be mean and heartless sometimes, but you still need friends to make it._

_And Lesson 3: Never hurt your own._

_I cautiously looked around the grocery store before sliding the peach in my pocket. I casually walked out the door, holding my breath as the clerk looked suspiciously over at me. He glared my way, but didn't stop me, so I walked out of the store with my snack. I silently thanked the young clerk in my mind. He didn't have to let me go._

_I ate it as I walked toward the place I called home, an abandoned alleyway complete with old cardboard box and the occasional rat._

_A strange noise alerted my ears, so I stopped walking and pressed myself up against the wall._

_There was a scrabbling noise, followed by a loud curse. I held my breath as a young teenage girl ran past me, her shirt torn, in tears._

_"Damn bitch." the dirty, smelly man said as he got onto his feet. He spotted me and grinned terribly._

_"Come here, girly. It's been awhile since I've had someone so young." the man said, coming towards me._

_I turned tail and ran, weaving through the crowds. "Go away!" I shouted, causing several people to look at me strangely. I stopped when I saw the man wasn't following me and slowed to a walk, easing my breathing._

I have to find somewhere safe. Somewhere were people will understand me. Not mistake me for an animal. _I thought frantically._

There is no such place. _I told myself. I straightened my shoulders and walked into the nearest YMCA for a quick shower. I swiped some soap, shampoo, and conditioner from someone's unlocked locker and got the stench of the streets off me as best as I could._

_I replaced the 'borrowed' items and put my filthy clothes back on. I'd worn these clothes for two months now, the stores had gotten wise to my little visits._

_I stayed inside for the night, hiding in the shower stalls when the night watchman closed up for the night. I slept on the benches in the locker room, using a rolled up towel as a pillow._

_***********************_

_"Hey kid, you alright?"_

_I jolted awake, mad at myself for sleeping so heavily and allowing someone to sneak up on me._

_"Yeah." I mumbled, stretching. "I'm fine, just fell asleep is all."_

_"Well, your parents are gonna be worried if you don't get home soon." the janitor said as she helped me to my feet._

_"No, they won't." I muttered under my breath, turning away. I walked out of the locker room and back onto the streets, where I walked around aimlessly, stealing small bits of food when I could. This continued for the rest of the week and well into the next, before I finally learned of Xavier's._

_********************_

_I was minding my own business, not bothering anyone, when all of a sudden I just lost control._

_It was in a deserted alleyway, thank goodness, so no one got hurt. I sneezed and all of a sudden transformed into a tiger cub! I tried to transform back, but I couldn't. I looked around frantically, fighting panic, and spotted a box. I curled up inside it, deciding that if I went to sleep I would be better when I woke up. Sleep is the best medicine, right?_

_Well, it worked. I woke up an hour later as my old self. My clothes were still intact, luckily, so I stood up and shook myself._

_"I have to control this. I have to find help." I said aloud, resolutely. I marched over to the library, appearing more confident than I felt._

_I looked cautiously around before heading into the library. I had on a long coat, gloves, long boots, and a hat on my head to hide my ears._

_"Excuse me miss?" I said to the librarian working at the time._

_"Yes, hon? What can I help you with?" she smiled kindly down at me._

_"I was just wondering where the computers were, and if you would please show me how to use them that would be great." I said with a charming smile. I managed to swipe toothpaste and a toothbrush along with a bottle of water at least once every two weeks._

_She led me to a row of computers and showed me how to use the search engine. I thanked her and she left me in peace, handing me a piece of blank paper and pencil when I asked._

_I typed in my search: 'Mutant Schools'._

_I came up with a list about two-thousand pages long, so I clicked on the first one and sighed._

This will work perfectly. _I thought, looking at the huge mansion with its manicured lawn and lush hedges. It was beautiful, the perfect place to rob if I was into thievery._

_"Maybe I'll finally have a family." I said quietly to myself, writing down the address and phone number. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to find my way there or call first._

_I made up my mind when I saw where it was._

There is no way I'm walkin' all the way to New York._ I thought, looking for the librarian. I found her and politely asked if there was a phone I could use._

_She shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear. This library doesn't have a public phone I'm afraid. But there's a pay phone right down the street." she said._

_I again thanked her and walked out the door, swiping two dollars in quarters from the fountain by the door._

_I walked to the pay phone, inserted the correct amount, and dialed the number._


	3. Flashback Part 3 and the Institute

Notes and Reviews:

Long chapter, I know. Hopefully this'll make up for not having one yesterday or tomorrow. I will try to get one out, but no promises...

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my ideas and OCs... not even the keyboard... :(

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

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_" You have reached Professor Charles Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning. Please hold while we transfer your call." the automated voice said in a fake, cheerful voice._

_"Please hold." I mimicked under my breath. "Gimme a break."_

_I stood on my tiptoes and inserted another quarter, just in case I was close to running out._

_"Hello?" a cool, clipped voice answered. It was a woman's voice._

_"Um, hi... Is this the place for mutants?" I blurted out, then immediately kicked myself for not being more careful._

_"Who may I ask is speaking?" the voice asked, sharp with suspicion._

_"Luna. You don't know me, but I need your help. Please, please help me." I practically begged, tears trickling down my cheeks._

_"Where are you?" the voice, which I could have sworn I heard before, softened._

_"I-I don't know... Somewhere in the U.S., that's all I know." I said, sniffling to get my tears under control._

_"That leaves a lot of area to cover." the woman sighed. "I'm Jean Grey." she finally said._

_"Luna Elvira Night." I said softly._

_"Well, Luna, tell ya what. I'll get the Professor on the phone and he can find you, O.K.? He's a telepath, he'll find you." She sounded so confident, although I didn't know what a telepath was._

_"Sounds great." I said with a tired smile she couldn't see. I leaned against the booth, waiting for the mysterious Professor._

_"Professor Charles Xavier speaking." the man's voice said in my ear._

_"He-Hello?" I said. "My name's Luna." I began._

_"I know, Jean told me." I could hear the warmth in the man's voice. "Tell me, Luna, how old are you?"_

_"I don't know, sir." I said honestly. "If I had to guess, maybe nine?"_

_"Oh dear. And you're all alone?" the voice sounded worried._

_"Yes sir, but I'm used to it. I just need help. You see, earlier I sneezed and transformed into a tiger cub! I was scared, but luckily no one was around. I'm sorry, I'm boring you, aren't I? I'll be quiet now." I said._

_I heard a chuckle. "No, it's quite alright, I assure you. Now then, Luna, you know what a mutant is, do you not?"_

_I nodded, then remembered that he couldn't see it. "Yes. The Brotherhood explained before I ran away. I'm a mutant, correct sir?"_

_"Yes, you are. I will pinpoint your location momentarily, O.K. child?"_

_"Yes sir." I said quietly, then heard a noise behind me._

_"Hey girly. We've got some unfinished business to attend to." The man who chased me earlier was back and I had nowhere to run. I was trapped._

_"S-Stay away!" I said, looking wildly around._

_"Luna! What's happening?" the Professor demanded sharply._

_"That rotten, no-good guy is back." I whispered into the phone._

_The man grabbed it and slammed it down on the receiver. "You, my dear, are going to be fun." He grinned horribly and I started to cry. He slapped me across the face and grabbed my shirt, trying to force it over my head. His other hand was fumbling with the zipper and button on my jeans._

_"No, please!" I begged, feeling a strange tingling in my arms and legs._

_He grabbed my arm and twisted it behind me, then forced my lips to his, still trying to force me out of my clothes. He kissed me roughly, forcing his tongue in my mouth. I almost gagged at the rotten taste of it, instead I slammed my elbow into his gut. Hard._

_He groaned and released me, doubling over. I spat and lost control completely, transforming this time into a full-grown, very angry adult tigress. I roared and slashed at the man, ripping a large gash in his arm. I held him down with one massive forepaw and growled in his face._

_I heard several screams and turned to look out the clear walls of the phone booth. Several people were staring at me, eyes wide and staring._

_"She's a mutant!" one woman screamed._

_"A monster!"_

_"An animal!"_

_"Kill it! Don't let it plague our children!"_

_I shook my head, transforming back into Luna. "No, please!" I pleaded with them._

_They didn't listen and I looked down at the man. He was dead._

_I backed away carefully into the street, then turned and ran before the mob could get me. I ran blindly through the streets, never stopping, never resting, until I was sure that I was safe. I hid in an abandoned liquor store for a few minutes, then crept around to the side. I pulled out a pick-pocketed cell phone that I had gotten from the mob earlier and dialed the number again._

_" You have reached Professor Charles Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning. Please hold while we transfer your call." I heard again and then the dialing tone rang._

_I waited frantically, always on the move, not paying attention to where I was. I was soon lost again and I kicked myself for not being careful. "Hello?" a voice over the phone said._

_"Hi, it's me again. Luna." I said._

_"Luna? Oh, Luna! I remember!" I could make out some kind of strange accent. German maybe? "O.K., Evan, you got me. I don't know how you made your voice go that high, but that was pretty impressive." the voice on the phone said._

_"No, wait!" I pleaded. "I called earlier! Don't hang u-"The line clicked and I stared at the phone in anger and sadness. "p" I finished softly. I pocketed the phone and walked slowly down the street. I was getting to that school, walking or not!_

_I quickly counted up how much money I had. Four dollars and eight cents. That would get me... maybe a meal at McDonald's._

_I sighed and walked, not even knowing if I was going in the right direction. I found a bus station, looked at the map, and discovered that I was indeed in Bayville, New York._

_I was closer than I thought._

_I walked over to a nearby taxi and leaned into the window. "Um, excuse me? How far will four dollars and eight cents get me? I'm tryin' to visit my... Aunt Jean at the Xavier Institute." I smiled at the driver._

_"Well, four dollars'll ge ya to that lamp post." he said, pointing to a post two streets down. "But the Institute isn't too far. I'll drive ya." he said, smiling down at me. He opened the passenger door for me and I climbed in._

_"How old are ya?" he asked when I seatbelted myself in. He put it in drive and we were off._

_"Nine." I said._

_"Nine?! Kid, you look about seven, you're so small." the driver said, looking at me in pity._

_I met his gaze with a furious look of my own. "I'm nine!" I snapped._

_"Whoa. Sorry ta offend ya, kid." He said, glancing at me._

_I calmed down. "It's alright." I said quietly. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I am sorry."_

_We sat in silence for awhile and eventually the driver rolled up to a huuugge gate with a huuuuuugggeeee lawn!_

_"This is the Institute." he said. "I can't go any farther, so I have to say good-bye here. Take care of yourself, little fireball." he said with a short laugh as I got out._

_I smiled. "Arigatou, Xie'xie'ni, danke, grazie, gracias, thank-you." I said in Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian, Spanish, and finally English._

_The driver drove off and I looked at the front gate with a frown. "How am I gonna get over this?" I wondered aloud. I finally decided that climbing it would have to do. I put my hand on the gate and pulled myself up bit by bit, clinging with my toes as best as I could._

_I didn't even get two feet off the ground it seemed before I tumbled down and landed on my rump. I sighed and walked around the outside of the school, looking for a way in through the gate that surrounded it._

_No luck, I only circled back around. It was getting late and my stomach was starting to growl. I finally just sat down and sighed. I glanced up at the sky and growled in frustration._

_"I am not giving up!" I said through clenched teeth. I renewed my efforts to climb the fence, to no avail. The fact was, I was just too hungry and weak to do it. I kicked it, stubbed my toe, and flopped down on the ground again._

_I drew my trenchcoat and hat closer to me as I closed my eyes and fell asleep, propped up against the gate, shivering slightly from the cold._

_*****************_

_When I woke up, night had really fallen. It was dark, really, really dark, and the moon was almost all the way in the middle of the sky. I stood up and looked longingly at the house, shivering slightly from a slight breeze. "At least it's not raining."_

_All of a sudden there was a downpour and- Just kidding, it didn't rain. The breeze picked up slightly, but that's all._

_I started to cry in frustration at not being able to get in. "Let me in!" I shouted, stamping my foot for good measure._

_Well, those were the magic words, apparently, because the stupid gate opened and I walked in, stepping carefully onto the lawn._

_I walked farther on, reaching about the mid-way point when I was intercepted. A shadow crossed in front of the moon and I looked up. A figure loomed over me, tall and menacing. I scrambled and tried to run, slipping in my haste and falling down, skinning my elbows and knees slightly._

_"Hey, calm down." the figure said. It was a man's voice and I could make out two large wings, white and feathered. The man was tall, maybe six feet or so. He leaned down to pick me up and I lashed out with my sharp, claw-like nails. I bared my teeth, no scratch that (no pun intended), they were fangs._

_"Stay away!" I hissed, trying to sound tough. The man backed away slightly. I turned and ran across the lawn towards the mansion. My knees suddenly buckled and I fell, unable to go any farther. My vision dimmed and finally blackened, muting out any noises or sights as I fell into unconsciousness._

_*******************_

_"Is she awake yet?"_

_"No, Kitty. Calm down. I will let you see her when she awakens. We do not want to frighten her."_

_"Sorry Professor."_

_I sat up and rubbed my eyes to remove the sleep from them. I was in some sort of white room. White walls, white ceiling, white tiles, white tables, beds, sheets. All in all, too much white._

_I looked around and finally spotted some color, but it was coming from outside the only door, clear across the room. I got up stealthily, crept over to the door, and opened it._

_No one was around that I could sense, so I walked silently down the hall and to an elevator. I pushed a button, got in, and waited._

_The elevator stopped, doors sliding open, and I silently got out and walked down another hallway. I hadn't seen anyone, so it was eerie how easily this place was to get around._

_Until I got to the kitchen._

_Apparently, it was lunch time, I had been out awhile. I ran before anyone could see me, straight into a student._

_She had long, black hair, and blue eyes. (A.N. I know, on Marvel's website it says her eyes are brown, but I personally like her eyes better blue. I am the author, I have power! MWAHAHA!! O.K., maniacal power moment over. Wolverine's eyes will also be blue, though Marvel says brown. Everyone else should be according to Marvel's website, though there are no guarantees.) She was obviously Asian, though the eyes threw me for a minute._

_She looked at me, backed away, and screamed. In seconds the entire mansion it seemed was running to see what the matter was. It was then that I remembered: I had forgotten my trenchcoat and hat in that room back there._

_I swiftly tugged off my gloves, in case I needed to fight. The movements and stance came naturally to me, like I'd been trained. I growled low in my throat, feral instincts awakened by the crowd of people. My warning was simple: back off or I'll hurtcha._

_My metal claws shot out of my fingertips without my consent, and I hurriedly sheathed them, dropping to all fours and running across the room, straight to the door, to freedom, to the open air..._

_...and was stopped by some unknown force. A voice was in my head, but it wasn't my own._

Do not run and I will release you. _It sounded like the guy on the phone, the mysterious "Professor Xavier" person._

_"O.K." I answered aloud, fighting to get free. The hold on me was dropped and I stood up, still looking at the door, though I didn't move toward it. If I didn't have my word, I didn't have anything, so I always kept it._

_"Now, child, I understand that you must be overwhelmed, but let me assure you that no one here is frightened of your appearance." Some guy in a wheelchair pulled up close to me and spoke softly, calming me down. I relaxed slightly, still wary._

_"O.K." I said, looking around. The people were all leaving, emptying the big hallway by the door until it was only me and the bald guy._

_"You are Luna, correct? It is wonderful that we have finally located you, child. I understand that you have been through a lot." Xavier still spoke in that reassuring tone._

_"Kinda." I said, leaning against the wall behind me. I slid down it until I was seated on the floor, knees drawn up around me._

_"Well, no one here will threaten you, understand? You will be safe here, if you choose to stay. I will introduce you to some students of mine, known as the X-Men. We have some new members to the team, you met one just earlier. That was Jubilation Lee, or simply Jubilee."Xavier said calmly._

_"Y-Your not afraid of me?" I asked softly. "I look like a monster, an animal... yet you talk to me like I'm human." I said in wonder._

_"Of course, child. You _are _human, just different. I am not afraid of you. I have no reason to be. You will find that there are many people here who do not look like regular humans. You are not __alone." As if on cue, a big, muscular-looking _blue_, furry_ _ape-like man walked in._

_"Charles, I received your telepathic summons and- Oh my stars." he stopped in mid-sentence and looked at me._

_"Luna, this is Henry "Hank" McCoy, or Beast." Xavier said with a slight smile._

_"How do you do, young Luna?" McCoy said._

_"Hi." I said quietly. He offered me his hand and I stared at it for a bit before remembering that I was suppose to shake it. His hand completely engulfed mine and it was warm and fuzzy._

_"Pleasure to meet you, my dear." McCoy said before walking off to another room. _

_There was suddenly a BAMF! noise, followed by a cloud of purplish-blue smoke that smelled like sulfur or something. Another blue person, this one a teenager, stood in the midst of all the smoke. He was maybe five foot five, with blue fur all over his body, three fingers on each hand, and barefoot. I could see two toes on each foot and he stood on tiptoe. His spaded tail seemed to wave at me. I jumped slightly at the noise, but that was all._

_"Guten tag." he said in a German accent. I looked into his glowing golden eyes and smiled shyly._

_"Hi." I said softly, reaching out my hand to shake his. He looked taken aback, but nonetheless he took it in his own and shook._

_"Mein name iz Kurt Wagner, though some call me Nightcrawler." he said in his heavy accent._

_"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Wagner." I said._

_I was taken on a tour of the mansion, and introduced to others on the way._

_"This is Kitty and Rogue's room. If you need anything, please feel free to ask them." Xavier said, stopping in front of an open door._

_The room was divided by what seemed to be an invisible line. On one side of the room there was pink stuff everywhere. Boy band posters filled the walls along with pictures. The other side of the room was empty save for a single mirror on the wall._

_"Like hi! I'm Kitty Pryde!" A girl with brown hair and hazel eyes suddenly appeared in front of me._

_I jumped, startled, but shook her hand nonetheless. "Hi." I said._

_"Ah'm Rogue." A Gothic-looking girl with brown hair that had a single white streak on each side said. Her eyes were green and they seemed to burn with an inner fire. She wore long gloves on each hand._

_"Hi." I said once again, shaking her gloved hand._

_"Kitty, or Shadowcat, can phase through solid objects and also short out electronics if she phases through them. Rogue can drain people's life forces, and if they are a mutant, take their gifts for a short while, through touch." Xavier explained._

_I nodded and we moved on. We came upon another room with the door open and I was introduced to Bobby Drake and John Allerdyce, also known as Iceman and Pyro respectively. Bobby controlled ice, John controlled fire. How cute._

_I met Piotr __Rasputin, or Colossus, who could make his entire body some kind of bio-steel when he wanted. The tall Russian had kind blue eyes and short black hair. Not five minutes later, some kid named Jamie Madrox, or Multiple, showed up. I bumped into him and all these Jamie look-alikes fell out! "I make clones." he said simply, gathering all the mini-hims to himself._

_We continued on to a living room that had a television. There were four young boys sitting on the couch watching basketball. Three had blond hair, and the last had black hair._

_They were introduced as Sam Guthrie, Evan Daniels, Ray Crisp, and Roberto Da Costa, also known as Cannonball, Spyke, Berzerker, and Sunspot, respectively. I shook each hand with a quiet 'hello' and onward we went. I was told that soon enough I would know what everyone here could do, but for now we had to hurry along with the tour._

_"Ah, Warren, there you are. Luna, I'd like you to meet Warren Worthington the third, or Angel." Xavier said with a smile._

_"You're the guy from outside." I said quietly, staring at his wings with a kind of quiet fascination. "Can I touch them?" I asked softly._

_"Why, yes of course." Worthington said with what looked like a startled expression. He leaned down so I could stroke the soft, white feathers._

_I stroked them and they seemed to do a funny shiver thing, like it tickled. I smiled as I watched them and slowly drew my hand back. Worthington straightened up with a smile and walked down the hall, calling out a good-bye._

_"He seems nice." I said to Xavier as we continued on._

_"Yes, you'll find that most people here are nice." Xavier said and stopped in front of another living room. This time there were three girls in the room. It looked like they were braiding one unhappy-looking girl's hair._

_"Laura, hold still." the girl with straight, dark brown hair said._

_"Yeah. How are we suppose to braid your hair if you don't cooperate?" a girl with short red hair tried to reason with her._

_"Yeah, girl. Have fun with it!" a blond-haired girl said._

_The poor girl whose shiny, shoulder-length black hair the other two were attempting to braid scowled and crossed her arms._

_Xavier cleared his throat and the three looked up. "Yes Professo- look how cute she is!" the brunette suddenly squealed, pointing to me._

_I was surrounded by the girls and they were petting my soft, short fur._

_"Awwwww. She's sooo cute!" the redhead cooed._

_"Luna, this is Amara Aquilla, also called Magma." He introduced the brunette and she smiled at me. "And this is Tabitha Smith, or Boom Boom." he indicated the blond._

_"I'm Rahne Sinclair, or Wolfsbane." the redhead spoke up next. "And that's Laura Kinney, or X-23."_

_"And this is Laura Kinney leaving." the girl with the black hair said as she hurried out of the room._

_Aquilla sighed. "Well, so much for beautifying her."_

_I was scratched behind the ears and under the chin, stroked on my back, and pet on the top of my head. I purred, unable to stop myself and the girls just melted._

_ "Awwwww!!" they said again and Xavier smiled._

_"Come on, Luna. We still have the tour." he said, gently prying me away from the three teenagers._

_I walked beside his wheelchair, looking at all the paintings and vases and other stuff decorating the hallways. Various students ran past us, or stared at me, and we continued in silence._

_Finally, we came to another room. Xavier said that this floor was known as the teachers' floor, where all the teachers' rooms were. He also said something about a Mr. Logan preferring to sleep on the student floor, to keep an eye on things. I didn't really listen, I was too busy 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over all the shiny things._

_Xavier knocked on a door and an African woman with white hair opened it._

_"Luna, this is Ororo Munroe, or Storm." Xavier introduced us and we shook hands._

_"Greetings child." she said in an accent I couldn't place._

_"Hi." I said, looking into her blue eyes. There sure were a lot of blue eyes around here..._

_"Charles, do we know where her parents are?" Munroe asked in sudden concern._

_"No, not yet. I was planning on questioning her once we got finished with the tour." Xavier explained._

_Munroe nodded and off we were, once again._

_The trip downstairs took us twice as long as the trip upstairs because because I insisted on pushing the buttons and pressed the wrong one._

_"I'm so sorry!" I said once again as we finally got off the elevator on the correct floor._

_"It is quite alright, really." Xavier said with a smile. "You didn't know that that was the button for the sub-levels. It's alright." he said again, calming me down._

_I smiled a tiny smile. "O.K." I said quietly and almost ran into a girl with red hair and a guy with brown hair and red-tinted glasses._

_"Whoa! Hey, slow down." the guy said with a smile, catching me before I fell._

_"Sorry." I mumbled, standing up and standing beside Xavier._

_"Luna, this is Jean Grey." Cue the redhead with green eyes. I recognized her as the girl with the guy in the cowboy hat. "And Scott Summers, also called Cyclops." Cue guy with sunglasses._

_"Remy LeBeau at your service, mon petite." A guy suddenly appeared behind me. He had brown hair and burning, red-on-black eyes. He gently kissed my hand and I giggled despite myself._

_"Gambit." Grey said, looking at the Cajun._

_"Sorry, chere." LeBeau said with a grin and disappeared down the hall. _

_"And that was Remy LeBeau, or Gambit." Xavier said with a sigh._

_I smiled slightly. "There sure are a lot of people, sir." I said softly._

_He chuckled. "Yes, Luna. There are. Where is Logan?" he asked Summers._

_"Last time I checked..." he started to say, but was interrupted._

_"Right behind ya, Charles." said a gruff voice that I also recognized._

_A stocky, broad-chested man with black hair styled up into points walked in. His baby blue eyes looked at mine for a split-second before he addressed Xavier. "Who's this?"_

_"Logan, I want you to meet Luna. Luna, this is Logan, or Wolverine." Xavier said._

_"Hi." I said quietly, looking into his eyes._

_He just grunted something and turned back to Xavier. "She stayin' here?"_

_"If she wants. There's going to be a meeting in the War Room shortly." Xavier said with finality, already rolling away. "Come, Luna. We still have our tour."_

_I stood my ground. "I'm not a dog." I said._

_Xavier turned around. "I'm sorry?" He looked confused._

_"I said I am not a dog, Mr. Xavier." I repeated myself, staring him down. "I do not come when called, roll over for you or anyone else, and I will not beg." I said, my eyes flashing as I remembered the man that I had accidentally killed._

_"I am deeply sorry, Luna. I did not mean it the way you are implying. Now, would you please accompany me on the rest of our tour?" Xavier asked politely._

_I nodded and followed him through the rest of the mansion, again 'oohing' and 'ahhing' at everything._

_I was shown the Danger Room, which Xavier said I would be able to try out tomorrow, maybe. I was re-shown the MedLab, where McCoy was working on something. And finally, we came to a stop at the War Room. Summers was already there with Grey._

_"Luna, when was the last time you had a decent meal?" Xavier asked me, noticing my thin body for the first time._

_I shrugged. "I dunno, I had a pear yesterday." I said. "About got caught tryin' ta get that pear, too." I mumbled._

_"Well, we'll get you some food, then you can sleep in the Infirmary tonight. I'm sure that Hank would want to make sure that you are alright, physically speaking. Scott, would you please accompany Luna to the kitchen for some food?" Xavier asked Shades._

_"Of course, Professor." Summers said, leading me to the kitchen with Grey. Grey got me some weird, cheese-yellow food. It smelled pretty good, so I took a bite._

_"What is it?" I asked, taking another bite._

_"Mac 'n cheese." Summers said._

_"It's good!" I said, shoveling another bite down. I finished the entire bowl and gave it to Grey, who put it in the sink._

_"You said that this is a school for mutants, right?" I asked Xavier once we got back down to the 'War Room'._

_"Yes, it is. All those people that you met earlier, they were all mutants." _

_I remained silent, thinking that over, and people started to enter the room._

_Finally, everyone that I had met on the tour shuffled in and the door was shut. There was more than enough room in the gigantic room, so everyone sat down and got comfy._

_"First things first." I said, looking tiredly at Summers, Grey, and Xavier. "What do I have to do to live here? I'll do any job you ask, even clean the gutter out." I said, looking pleadingly at them. "I don't have any money, but I'll work for a room here."_

_"Whoa, hey slow down. You don't have to work to live here." Summers said."Professor X lets us live here for free, so long as we learn to control our powers." Grey told me with a reassuring smile. She must be a cheerleader or some kind of sports star, she was too trim to not be._

_"Nothing in life is free." I said, leaning against the wall._

_"Some things are." Summers tried to reason with me._

_"Everything comes with a price." I whispered softly to myself, wincing as my claws shot through my fingertips with a sharp metallic SHINK!. The tips gleamed brightly as they caught the light and I sheathed them again._

_Everyone stared, and I noticed Logan and Kinney, er... Laura looking at me in particular interest._

_I sighed and watched as the cuts repaired themselves on all ten of my fingertips. "You see?" I said softly. _Get a grip. _I thought crossly to myself._

_"Anyways, Luna if you choose to stay here we can offer you food, clothes, a place to sleep, and the chance to learn how to control your powers." Xavier said, looking intently at me._

_I nodded, tilting my head to the side. "For free?" I said incredulously._

_Xavier nodded. "Yes."_

_"O.K..." I said, biting my lip._

_"Excellent." Xavier smiled. "Now, you can read and write, correct?"_

_"Yeah. I snuck into school for a few years. Why?" I asked, naturally suspicious._

_"Because I need you to fill this in." he said, handing me a slip of paper._

_**Name: Luna Elvira Night**_

_**Other Aliases: Selene (while on streets), Diana (while in orphanage), Artemis (while in Canada with some lady named Kayla Silverfox)**_

_**Age: nine**_

_**Powers: transform into full-grown adult tigress and tiger cub (any color), superhumanly acute senses, healing (myself and maybe others), and ten metal claws that come out of my fingertips**_

_**Family: don't know**_

_**Siblings: aren't they family?**_

_**Current Financial Status: I'm nine. You tell me.**_

_**Gender: female**_

_**Do you like animals, and are you allergic to fur?: What kind of a question is that?**_

_**How did you find out about Xavier's?: Internet**_

_**How did you get here?: walked and took a cab**_

_**Do you have any relatives at Xavier's?: Again, wouldn't they be in family?**_

_**Please describe any physical characteristics that set you apart from other humans: Where do I start? Short, tiger-striped fur (white on right side, orange on left), mixed orange and white tiger-striped tail, feline nose with whiskers, naturally sharp fingernails ('claws'), sharper than normal teeth ('fangs'), see-in-the-dark golden feline eyes, slightly sharp, pointy toenails, pointy cat-ears on top of my head**_

_**Anything else you deem important for the staff to know: I've been labeled as a 'feral' and I kinda killed a guy on accident.**_

_I handed the paper back to Xavier and he looked it over. Logan and Summers both looked over his shoulders._

_"You were in Canada?" Logan asked._

_"Yeah. Really cold up there too. Some idiots thought it'd be funny to toss the tiger-freak up north on a freight train. About froze, too, if Kayla hadn't saved me." I said with a small smile as remembered the gentle woman. "Hmmm, now that I think about it, she did mention you." I said, looking right at Logan. My shyness was slowly going away, though it'd be back tomorrow no doubt._

_"Luna, how much control do you feel you have over your ability to transform into a tiger?" Xavier asked._

_I shrugged. "I sneezed once and transformed, if that's any help." I again thought of the guy I had killed._

_"What'dya mean you killed a guy on accident?" Summers asked._

_I looked at the floor. "He grabbed me and tried to tear my clothes off and I lost control, transformed, and killed him." I said, tears threatening to overflow. "i... I didn't mean to! I really didn't! But he grabbed me and slapped me and I couldn't control it!" I said, a few tears spilling over._

_"Luna, it's O.K." Grey... I mean Jean said, kneeling beside me and wrapping me in a tight hug. "He shouldn't have tried to do that." she said to me._

_"I shouldn't have lost control either." I said, angry at myself for what I had done._

_"You couldn't help it." Jean said._

_"Maybe." I said._

_"Luna, we need to discuss whether you are staying here." Xavier said gently._

_"The Professor's right, Luna. Have you decided based on what you've seen so far?" Summers... Scott asked._

_I nodded. "I'll stay." I said. _It's not like I have anywhere else to go. _I thought._

_"Wunderbar!" Kurt said excitedly, clapping his hands._

_I smiled slightly at his outburst. "Wunderbar indeed." I said with a slight twitch of my ears. I yawned suddenly, exhaustion catching up to me._

_"Let's get you to bed." Jean said kindly, taking me by the hand. I was grateful for the tough leather gloves that I had on, they meant that I didn't have to worry about scratching her on accident._

_We got to the Infirmary and Jean handed me some clothes._

_"They're a bit big, they're Kitty's." Jean sad with an apologetic smile. I was shown to the bathroom so I could get a shower._

_"Hey Jean?" I said before stepping into the shower._

_"Yes?"_

_"Um... Is my trenchcoat still out there?" I asked, shy once again._

_"Yes, it's hanging up." she said and I nodded and stepped into the shower. _

_I let the warm water roll over me, soaking my fur through. I washed with soap, making sure to work the dirt out of my fur. I cleaned really good, then steppe out and used the blow-dryer to dry my fur. I finally dressed in the too-big clothes, opened the door, and stepped out._

_Jean smiled when she saw me. "Let's put you to bed." she said, leading me to a clean, white bed. I put my gloves on the stand beside the bed and laid down. She covered me up and flicked the light off before she left._

_"Good-night." she called before leaving me to sleep. _

_*****************_

Now that we're all caught up, the annoying flashback is over.

I woke up in that soft white bed the next morning with a yawn and stretch. I swung myself out of bed, and grabbed my trenchcoat, making sure that everything was still there. It smelled clean, like someone had washed it, so I was a little panicked that they took my stuff.

My hat was still in one of the pockets, along with a knife and yo-yo that I had found a long time ago. My money was safe and sound in one of the inner pocket, along with the cell phone that I had pickpocketed. The broken iPod was also there, some kid had given it to me with some headphones, claiming that it only needed batteries. That claim was busted when I "acquired" some batteries and it still didn't work.

I grabbed a bag of clothes that someone had left for me and a note fluttered to the ground. I picked it up and read:

_Dear Luna,_

_Welcome to your first day here at Xavier's! I hope that you'll make yourself comfortable here. Sorry I can't be there on your first real day, but there's school today. It's Monday, in case you were wondering._

_See you when we get home,_

_Jean Grey_

I read the note and set it on the stand, pulling on the clothes left for me. There was a plain black t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of blue jeans, underwear, socks, and boots.

I pulled on the short-sleeved shirt underwear, jeans, and socks. I pulled the boots on, tugged my gloves into place, and shrugged on my trenchcoat. I finally jammed the hat on my head, pulling the brim over my face to hide my eyes and whiskers. My fur was completely hidden from view, as well as my ears and whiskers. I walked out of the room, satisfied that no one would be afraid of how I looked.

I made my way up to the kitchen, getting lost a few times, and finally stumbling across it.

I twitched my ears, cleaned my whiskers off and moistened my nose with my tongue. I walked carefully to the table, ready to bolt if anyone tried to hurt me.

"No one's gonna hurt ya, kid. Sit down." a gruff voice said, impatience in his tone.

I dropped into a seat at his tone and looked up. Logan was watching me and I rubbed at the dogtag around my neck nervously.

"Where'd ya get that?" Logan asked, indicating my dogtag. I could see one around his neck.

"I don't know." I said honestly. "I just had it one day."

"Huh." was all he said before turning to Xavier.

I shrugged and looked around the kitchen.

My little cat nose twitched at all the enticing smells of bacon, sausage, pancakes, and other tasty foods. My mouth watered as I smelled the delicious scents from the stove. I hesitantly took a plate and some bacon and sausage and ate them. The plate was set in the sink and I walked out of the kitchen.

"Ms. Munroe?" I said, looking up into her blue eyes.

"Storm, please." she said.

"Storm, when you said yesterday that I would have a room that was mine, did you really mean it? An entire room, all mine?" I asked in wonder.

"Of course, child."Storm said with a slight frown on her lips.

I grinned, real and genuine, and hugged her around the middle. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" I cried, looking up with tears in my eyes. I stepped back as a sudden thought came to me. "Why are you being so nice?"

"Because we want to help you, and others like you. We just want to help." Storm said with a brilliant smile.

I smiled again and nodded. "Thank you." I said again. I went down to the Infirmary and, just for that day, decided that I didn't need my trenchcoat, hat, or gloves.

_Maybe they won't be scared..._

*********************

Later that day the front door burst open and Kitty, Jubilee, Rogue, Amara, and Rahne all crowded around me and smiled sweetly at me.

"Awwww...." they all said together. "Look, she's scared! That's so cute!" Kitty cooed.

I heard Bobby (brown-haired boy with brown eyes) pretend to gag on all the sugary-sweetness the girls were displaying.

"Bobby, shut up!" Amara yelled playfully. I fluffed my fur out slightly.

"She looks like a little kitten! Go on, Rogue! Pet her! She's so cute!" Jubilee squealed.

I frowned, but allowed the girl with no skin showing to pet me on the head. It felt so good to have another person touch me, to scratch just right behind my ears, that I pushed my head against her hand and purred like a cat. I wound around Rogue's legs, my tail lingering slightly, trying to

get her to scratch my back.

The girls 'Awwww!!'ed again and someone reached down and scratched my back gently. I stood up abruptly and walked out when I heard other people coming inside, flicking my tail as I passed.

_I am such a tease._

_--------------------------------------------------_

Sorry if this chapter seemed to move a little fast, I just wanted to get everyone introduced right quick.

Surprise visitor to Xavier's coming soon, so please stayed tuned!


	4. Shocking Discoveries

Notes and Reviews:

Wisdom-Jewel: thanks for the support. I hope you like this newest chapter.

This chapter might seem a little fast-paced but, hey it's a nine-year-old. They're full of sugar anyways lol

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my ideas and OCs... and my cereal :D

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"Now that you are all here, I think it is time to learn a little more about our newest member to the Institute." Xavier (Professor?) said, smiling at me .I fidgeted a little and toyed with the borrowed shirt.

"Hurra!" Kurt said, leaping into the air and turning some sort of weird backflip.

I laughed. "Hooray is correct." I said with a smile. "I snuck into a German class last year." I explained when faced with confused expressions.

"We were just about to ask you a few questions in order to get to know you better." Professor said with a kind smile, steering the conversation back on track. "Do you know when you were born? Or who your parents are?"

I shook my head. "No, all I remember is being on the streets since maybe two or so. The Brotherhood took care of me, some guy named Liam took care of me, and Kayla took care of me. Other than that, it was just me." I said.

"I see. Luna, as mentioned before, I am a telepath. That means I can read people's minds. If you would like, I can try to help you unlock your past."

I bit at my lip, thinking it over. On one hand, I would remember my parents, my past, and the missing years from age six to maybe eight and a half or so. But on the other, what if my parents were murderers, or drug dealers or something? Did I really want to know that?

I stood there for what seemed like ten years to me, but was probably only about a minute. Slowly, I nodded.

"O.K. Wait, will it hurt?" I asked, suddenly worried.

Professor chuckled. "Not at all, my dear." He placed his hands on my head and I held still and allowed him to work.

*********************************

**Change point of view: Professor Charles Xavier, third-person omniscient**

The Professor placed his hands on the young girl's head and closed his eyes, concentrating on unlocking the mysteries of her past. Images flashed through his mind, though she could not see them.

_"Victor, please do not harm her!" a woman with long, flowing blond hair begged the cat-like man in front of her. "I never meant to hide her from you! I just wanted her safe!" Tears coursed down from the young woman's troubled eyes. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties, nearing her early thirties._

_"I'll kill who I want, you pathetic little bitch!" the animalistic man roared in a fierce voice. The young boy next to him cringed slightly, but straightened up when the man looked sharply at him. His honey-fire golden eyes widened when his father looked down at him._

_"You have the freedom to decide their fates today, Payton Alex Creed. You have the power to decide who lives and who dies." Victor looked at his son in what could have been said to be pride._

_"Kill Sarabeth. She's weak." the boy snarled, pointing in the direction of the frightened woman._

_"Just don't hurt our daughter, Victor. Please." the woman begged. "Think of our little girl. Don't hurt our small tigress." Her last words were a whisper._

_Victor laughed cruelly. "Our child? You think I care about her? She's no daughter of mine. You hear that?" The man looked down at the baby girl crying in her crib. "You're nothing but a pathetic little brat! A bitch, just like your mother." The man looked at the girl with hatred in his eyes, but buried deep, deep within, one could say that he loved his little girl. One could say this, but they would die soon after._

_Victor laughed one last time before his nails grew and he silenced the crying, sobbing woman before him. The last sounds the Professor heard were the cries of the one year old babe, unable to defend for herself. Helpless, and alone._

_*********************************_

**_Luna's POV_**

****The Professor withdrew his hands from my head and looked at me in what looked shockingly like pity.

"Did you see anything?" I asked quickly, eager to find more of my past.

"Yes, but I must first discuss it with Jean and Logan. Now, let us try to put this out of our minds. Luna, we still have much to ask you." he said with what looked like a reassuring smile.

I nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"How long did you spend with the Brotherhood?" Evan shot off quickly.

"Maybe a year or two. I don't exactly know." I said.

"Like, why do you think you can change into different colors?" Kitty asked.

I tilted my head, thinking about it. "Actually, I think that it might have something to do with camouflage. You know, like how a tiger uses stripes to break up its outline? Maybe it's something like that."

"You mentioned that you're a feral, right? Have you ever, you know, lost control before?" Rogue asked in a soft voice. Her eyes flickered very, very briefly to Logan, but I caught the look.

I let out a slow breath. "Honestly, yes. I've lost it a few times, but those people deserved it as far as I'm concerned." I said. _Did that woman and child in North Dakota deserve to die? _my conscience nagged at me. _They didn't do anything wrong._

_I was mad._ I argued with myself. _I didn't mean to hurt them, it just happened._ I felt slightly sick to my stomach when I thought about what I'd done to them.

Of course, I had forgotten that the Professor could hear my thoughts, so it was a shock to me when he suddenly asked in my mind _Do you want to talk about whatever happened in North Dakota?_

_What's there to talk about? _I thought at him. _I was mad and lost control. I killed them and spilled their blood all over the snow, then ran straight back to New York and hid in the alleys. They were on the news, but the mystery was never solved. I just can't get the boy's face out of my mind as he clinged to his mama. _I shuddered involuntarily.

"Luna, I asked you a question." Storm said gently, waking me from my memories.

"Huh? What? Sorry." I said. "What was the question?"

"I said, what do you mean 'they deserved it'? What did they do?"

"They grabbed me, hit me, tried to steal whatever money I had. I saw one guy stab an old lady to get her purse, he didn't last long." I said, eyes flashing when I remembered that stupid guy and the poor old woman.

"That's awful!" Rahne said.

"Yeah, but there's bad people in the world. Way I see it, ya either fight for yourself and family, or you wind up a coward and lackey for those stronger than you. I'm nobody's lackey and I always fight for myself, no matter the size or odds. Way I see it, having powers just evens the odds a bit." I said bravely.

"Yeah, but what if you can help the bad people? What if you could give them a second chance? Would you be willing to put your feelings aside to help them?" Laura asked.

I remained silent, thinking. I answered quietly. "If I ever find out who did this," SHINK! I unleashed my ten claws; I didn't have the control to unleash just one. "let's just say they better know a safe way to the moon, because no force on this planet can stop me from giving them a taste of what they created." I said, thinking back to the half-heard, half-remembered conversation. "Whoever this Stryker guy is, I hope he pays." I sheathed my claws again.

Laura and Logan exchanged a look, but I didn't worry about it.

"Now Luna, being an X-Man is about more than just wanting revenge. You must come to grips with that now. It's about working to promote human-mutant peace and cooperation." Professor 'I-Have-a-Dream' Xavier said.

"Alright." I sulked. "Is that all the questions?"

Nobody said anything, I think I scared them.

Perfect, just freakin' _fabulous!_

I mentally groaned. _Great, I start having friends, maybe a family, and I scare them. Way ta go, Luna. Now you're officially a genius. _I scolded myself.

"Alright then. Let's get you a room to sleep in tonight." Jean said, standing up. I nodded and followed her with my head down, grumbling furiously at myself.

We came to a room on the second floor, one up from the "main" floor. My room was three doors down and on the right, so I went in and looked around.

The walls were bare, which was only to be expected. My trenchcoat was hanging up by a very soft-looking bed. There was a dresser, a nightstand, and a fair-sized closet. The bathroom connected to it had the necessities; toilet, shower, sink with counter.

I walked over to my trenchcoat and slipped it on, followed by my hat and gloves. I walked stealthily out of the room, keeping to the shadows. I moved along the wall, keeping low. No one was around, and I wanted to know what was going on. What was so secret that the Professor had to talk to Jean and Logan alone? I followed the scent and crouched beside the door. I put my ear against it, listening in on the conversation.

**********************************

**Change in POV: Professor, Jean, and Logan, third-person omniscient**

"Please, shut the door. What am I about to share with you must for now remain a secret." Charles Xavier said, wheeling himself behind his desk. "I looked into Luna's mind earlier-"

"Get to the point, Charles." Logan growled, unhappy that the Professor was wasting time with formalities and junk like that.

"In good time, Logan. I understand that you have regained at least some of your past, correct?"

"Yeah, I did. Why? What's it to ya?" He was in an ornery mood.

"Luna's father is your brother, Logan. Victor Creed. Sabretooth. Her mother was a woman named Sarabeth."

Logan growled and Jean's eyes widened. "Oh no, Professor! She doesn't know, I presume?"

"That is correct, Jean. She does not know. Sabretooth's son could have killed her, but he left her instead."

"Creed killed her mother. Sounds just like him." Logan growled loudly.

"You know what this means, don't you Logan? This means that Luna is your niece. She's part of your family."

Logan didn't seem entirely thrilled with this, but he wasn't completely mad about it either. He kept his face neutral, but inside he was raging. _I'll kill Creed fer what he did to the poor kid!_

"Professor, are you sure about keeping this a secret from Luna? Doesn't she have the right to know?" Jean asked, a worried crease on her forehead.

"Yes, Jean, I believe she does. But the timing has to be right. She is young and this knowledge could permanently damage her mind. We have to be gentle about this." Professor X said.

Jean nodded. "Aright, Professor."

"Where is the little furball anyway?" Logan asked suddenly.

"I left her in her room to get situated." Jean told him and he nodded before stalking out the door. He almost tripped over the shocked and still figure crouched just outside the door.

**********************

**Luna's POV**

I froze. _Sabretooth? _That's _my father?! No, it can't be! _The thoughts ran around in my head, chasing each other with big mallets. I'd heard about Sabretooth, seen pictures, heard stories. I'd never met him, but everyone seemed afraid of him.

I didn't move, even when Logan nearly ran me over when he yanked the door open. I couldn't, I was frozen there.

"Luna. Luna!" I could dimly hear shouts for me, but I couldn't respond. I couldn't move.

_Luna, this is why I did not want you to find out just yet. _The Professor spoke in my mind and I unfroze. I stood up, turned around, and ran outside to the safety of the woods. Tears flew behind me as I ran.

_He can't be, can't be!_

_But he is..._

_I'm a monster...._

_--------------------------------------------------_

No surprise visitor yet, but he will appear! I just have to figure out where to fit him into the story...

As always, reviews and ideas are always appreciated. Thanks to my faithful reviewers and readers!

And now, I am off to the movies. Farewell and good-bye! I shall see y'all when I get back.

Author and Hugh Jackman's (hopefully) future wife (lol, couldn't resist.),

-12kirby12


	5. Origin of Strength, Pain, and Hate

Notes and Reviews:

A hearty thanks to all who reviewed/read. And a big thanks also to all who favorited! Y'all keep me writing this story, and as always ideas are welcomed by a big fluffy bunny! 0:)

Well, school starts Thursday, so updates might slow a bit. I'll keep this story alive though, no worries! Now I have Lion King stuck in my head... XD Hakuna Matata, Hakuna Matata.....

See if y'all can spot the "surprise visitor"!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable... -sigh-

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"Luna! Wait!" Jean chased after me, trying to catch up. I ran swiftly, flying toward the trees. I dove deep into the trees, hidden in the dark and coolness of the trees. I climbed into a tree, and stayed silent, hoping that they'd just leave me alone. Sabretooth was my father... Did that make me as bad as him? The stories I'd heard... He'd done terrible things... Awful things...

I sat in the tree and cried, until I heard footsteps at the base of the tree and looked down. Logan looked up at me and he climbed up. I sniffed and shook, the tears still running down my cheeks, leaving a trail through my fur. I drew my knees up to my chest and, using my tail to balance, laid my head in between them. I cried quietly and nearly jumped out of my... uh, fur when Logan put his hand awkwardly on my shoulder and coughed.

I sniffed and peered up at him. "What?" I sniffed. "I'm fine."

"No, yer not. Look, I'm not the best at this whole 'comforting' thing... What's wrong?" he said gruffly.

I looked up into his baby blue eyes. "I just... I've always wondered who my parents are, ya know? I've wondered my whole life, stayed awake wondering. I dreamed about nice people like... firefighters or police officers, not a murderer. I finally know who at least my father is, and now I wish I never did." I sighed, burying my head into my arms again. "Besides," I sniffed. "It's not like you care anyways."

"Wrong. I _do _care, ya gotta believe that. Yer _my _niece and I'm protective of my family. What Creed did wasn't right, but that doesn't mean ya have ta go wallowin' in self-pity. Stand up fer yerself, put the past behind you and live in the present. So yer father left ya, so what? So Stryker made ya Weapon X, who cares?"

I looked up sharply. "_What?_" I hissed. "What's Weapon X?"

"It's a government program that infused adamantium to yer skeleton. Hence, the claws." Logan said, looking at me as if I should have known this.

I groaned. "Great. Now I'm an experiment. This is unfolding wonderfully." I massaged my temples with bruising force.

I shook my head. "What's everyone else gonna say when they find out? They won't trust me, fer all I know I've killed over half of their families under _Stryker's _orders." I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

"Honestly, yeah ya probably have." Logan said.

I rolled my eyes. "Not the words of encouragement I would've chosen." I said, standing up and balancing on the tree branch naturally. "So... What now? Do I go back, or do y'all even want me anymore?"

"Course we do." Logan growled, watching me closely as I walked back and forth across the branch. My tail kept me balanced and I didn't fall.

"O.K." I said, and leaped out of the tree. I twisted as I landed, and fell on all fours, very cat-like. I stood up and brushed myself off. Logan climbed down and we walked back into the mansion. I clutched my trenchcoat tighter around my body and pulled my hat lower across my face. Logan looked my direction, but didn't comment.

We made it back to the Professor's office and walked right in. I looked at the plush carpet, the brim of my hat hiding my eyes.

"Luna-" Jean started to say something, but Logan cut her off.

"She'll speak when she's ready, Jeannie." he said, guiding me to the couch.

I sat down and looked up, tipping my hat off my head and shrugging off my trenchcoat. I took a deep breath and looked up, meeting first Jean's eyes, then the Professor's, then Laura's, who was there for some reason. I held their gaze for a few seconds each, then finally looked at Logan, who stood by Jean's side.

They waited for me to speak. I gathered my thoughts together and opened my mouth. "I want to stay." I began. "But," my eyes flashed as I remembered what I'd just heard. "I don't want anyone ta know who my father is. Not yet." I looked down at my hands and clenched my teeth together, willing myself not to cry.

I looked up in time to see the Professor nodding. "That could be arranged." Good, he agreed with me.

I guess Jean couldn't stay silent anymore. "Luna, why is this so hard for you to deal with? I mean, it _is _Sabretooth, but...."

"Why?" I shook my head and closed my eyes. "Because all my life I've been told that I'm too small, too weak. That I'm just.... not good enough." I opened my eyes and looked down at my fingertips, at the place that should have scarred multiple times. "I've always been looked down upon because of my size, my appearance, my past. Because of this." I held up the dogtag and looked at it with hatred before putting it back down on my chest. "Nobody can seem to look further. Nobody can seem ta get past the fur and fangs, the claws, the nails, the tail. My eyes. They look in my eyes and they see an animal. They see a devil. They see Death. They want to kill the evil mutant, the animal, the monster. Shoot, I've been hunted down and almost killed more times than I care ta count." I looked up and focused my attention on Jean, though I spoke to everyone in that room. "Knowing that Sabretooth is my father, knowing that I wasn't good enough for my own blood, that just.... hurt. Ta know that I'm not enough for my own father, that's one of the worst feelings. Sure, some kids' parents don't want anything ta do with them once they're a mutant. But at least you know they still love 'em. At least they sometimes get over their prejudice, if only ta keep their family together. Me, heh, my dad's a mutant and I _still _was abandoned. I was _still _forgotten, left behind." I took a deep breath and stopped. I willed myself not to cry, not to look weak.

Jean looked shocked, with some pity too, the Professor looked... understanding, I guess, Laura was nodding for whatever reason, and Logan... well, he looked like Logan. I shook my head once again and looked at my fingers.

"Luna, you know that you're safe here, right? No one here is going to judge you." Jean said, crossing the room to kneel in front of me. "You'll always have a home here." She looked me in the eyes, willing me to understand this.

I nodded, biting my lip. "I know." I whispered. "And thank you. Thank you for everything."

Jean hugged me briefly before going to stand beside the Professor again.

I stood up and a sudden thought came to me. "When can I try the Danger Room?"

Laura rolled her eyes. "And I thought _I _was his clone." she muttered.

Logan shrugged. "Now, if ya want. Come on kid."He led me out of the room. Everyone else followed us down to the sub-levels.

I about jumped ten feet in the air when Kurt suddenly teleported beside me.

"Hi!" he said, teleporting beside me.

I shrieked and instinctively popped my claws and swiped at the threat.

"Whoa!" Kurt said, teleporting away. "Easy, mein freund. It iz me, the lovable blue furry elf." he said, palms up.

I stopped and sheathed my claws. "Sorry Kurt." I said.

"Eet iz alright. I spooked you. Iz she going to ze Danger Room?" he asked the group behind me. He grinned mischievously before teleporting off.

I sighed and shook my head. "Why do I have a bad feeling about why he grinned?"

"Because that's Kurt." Jean said with a shake of her head. We continued on and finally came to the big, shiny doors. They opened and I was told to stay in the main room while the others went upstairs to something called the "Control Room".

"We will be just up here." Came a voice from the ceiling. I looked up and around, trying to find the speaker. I finally located a window and saw everyone crowded in a room. I gave a thumbs-up to show that I understood and the room started to spin around. I popped my claws and took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves.

There was a BOOM! and something exploded to the right of me. Several robot-droid things came at me, keyed into my high body temperature. I leaped into the air, twisted around, and took the head off one with deadly accuracy. The movements came naturally to me, I didn't have to think about what I was doing, I just let the motions come to me. I flipped over another robot and sliced its legs out from it, then brought my claws deep into its metal skull. It fizzled and sputtered and I kicked it away from me, turning my attention to the two others that were coming at me. I glanced around and ran towards a wall. I had one shot, if this missed then I was done for...

I charged straight at the wall, relying on my speed to propel me. I didn't shift at all, that would compromise my position. Instead, I ran up the wall, kicked off it, and landed with a slight flip and twist on my feet behind the remaining robot. The other one had smashed into the wall.

I raked my claws against the steel plate covering its chest and it managed to cut me with a spinning razor thing on the arm. I hissed in pain, eyes tearing slightly. I kicked it away and did a backwards hand-spring to get away and heal my arm. The robot stayed down just barely long enough for me to heal, then it was after me again. I growled under my breath and let loose a roar that would have scared any lion cub back to its mother. I closed the gap with a leap and plunged my claws deep into its head, 'killing' it almost instantly.

The room's high-pitched whine slowly went down to a low, dull noise and the voice from the ceiling came again.

"Thank you, Luna. You may exit into the hallway. We will be with you shortly."

I walked out of the room, thinking back to the session. I gasped and grabbed my head, hitting the ground hard with my knees as a memory assaulted my head suddenly.

_"I don't care how old she is. Stryker already put her through the Program and trained her. Now he wants S.H.I.E.L.D. to continue her training. And we will." the man known as Nick Fury barked at the young Sargent. "Now put her through the test! Now!"_

_ "Yes sir!" the Sargent saluted and shoved me roughly into the room._

_"Kill everything standing." Fury commanded._

_I obeyed without hesitation, as I had been trained to._

I gasped when the memory ended, slowly getting back to my feet. I grasped my head painfully as the headache slowly drained away, leaving me with a dull pain in my head.

"Luna, you were amazing!" Amara and Kitty suddenly appeared in front of me. I didn't even flinch, I had smelled and heard them from behind the door. "Everyone was watching, you totally, like trashed the Danger Room!" Kitty squealed.

I shrugged. "I just took the enemy down." I said, glancing down at my dogtags. One had the engraving:

**Luna Elvira Night**

**Weapon X Project**

**Team X**

**Weapon X-26**

**Tigress**

The other simply had the following inscription:

**I'm the best there is at what I do.**

It was simple to understand, really. The first tag stated my whole name, what experiment I had been apart of, what team I had been on, what my lab name had been, and then my codename. At least, that was what Stryker had said to Magneto when he handed them to an assistant to give to me once the bonding was complete. It was one of the few things I remembered.

"So, like, what's up with the dogtags anyways? Logan and Laura have a set also." Amara said.

I shrugged and simply said "They were from a long time ago."

Kitty and Amara shared a look that I pretended not to notice.

The door _whooshed _open and everyone else crowded into the hallway. The younger X-Men went down the hall, leaving me, Laura, Logan, the Professor, Jean and, of course, Scott.

"Luna, would you please come with us to the Surveillance Room? We wish to review the footage from your session." the Professor said mildly.

I was instantly on the alert. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry, I'll do better next time, I promise..." I trailed off, thinking of the last time I said that. Another memory came, unbidden.

_"You're weak! Try harder!" the soldier snarled, threatening me with the whip._

_"I'm sorry! I'll try harder, I promise I will!" I cried out as the whip bit into me._

_"Do it again!" the soldier barked._

The memory flashed in my mind and I shook my head.

"Luna, I assure you you did nothing wrong." the Professor said, looking at me in what could have said to be concern.

I nodded and followed them into a room with nothing but television monitors and a couple of chairs. I stood while Jean and Scott sat down in the two chairs. The Professor typed a password into a keyboard and clicked a bunch of files. Suddenly, my Danger Room footage played on the large screen in front of us.

I watched the footage, mentally telling myself what I had done wrong or could work on. I kicked myself when I saw where I had been sliced and was mildly impressed by my roar when I had been hurt. I caught Jean flinch oh-so-slightly.

The footage ended and everyone looked at me. The Professor steepled his fingers and regarded me keenly.

"Luna, where did you learn to fight like that? Can you remember anything at all?"

I nodded slowly and drew my eyebrows together. "Yeah, I'm startin' ta remember little bits of things, almost instantly." I tilted my head. "That's... good. Right?"

Jean nodded. "Yes, it is. Luna, my best guess is that when whoever wiped your memory wiped it, they didn't erase it completely. It's almost as if they purposely...." She glanced at the Professor and he nodded.

"I believe you may be on to something, Jean." he said.

I made an odd noise in the back of my throat, a sort of cross between a growl and a sigh. "What'd she say, uh.... think?"

"She thinks that when your memory was erased, perhaps the person or people who erased it did not erase it completely. They might have left it only half-forgotten, so they would not have to dig so deep to unearth it." the Professor explained.

"Oh..." I said, trailing off in thought. "So, I might remember more? I might actually know what happened to me?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes. But you _must _allow it to come at its own pace. Do not try to force it." the Professor warned me.

I wasn't paying attention. "What? O.K., sure." I said distractedly, already thinking up ways to remember my past.

"Luna, listen to the Professor. He knows what he's talking about." Hero-worshiper Scott said.

I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through my fur. It was a natural nervous reaction, usually coupled with rubbing the dogtag around my neck.

"Luna, what do yer tags say? Lemme see 'em." X-23... Laura said, holding out her hand.

I hesitantly took them off for the first time in who knows how long and placed them in her outstretched hand. _Please don't lose them... _I thought frantically in my mind as she looked them over. Logan looked at them also, running his fingers over the metal.

"I'm the best there is at what I do..." he whispered, looking at the second tag attached to the chain.

I nodded and finished the saying that I had heard a long time ago. "But what I do best isn't very nice." I nodded again in complete agreement with the saying. "Stryker had that engraved on that tag to remind me of what I am. Of what I'll always be." I said, feeling the too-familiar scowl form on my lips. I shook my head and took my dogtags back and slipped them around my neck.

"Luna, what do you remember about a man by the name of Nick Fury?" Logan asked suddenly.

I tilted my head and thought back. "Just that he worked for or owned something called S.H.E.I.L.D. Other than that, not much else." I said with a shrug.

"What about something called Team X? Remember anything about a William Stryker, maybe?" Laura asked.

I nodded. "Yeah... He was with Magneto when the adamantium was bonded to me... I heard part of their conversation... Nothing important, only that Magneto paid to have me put through something called "the Weapon X Program", which I'm goin' ta guess had something ta do with the adamantium." I said, piecing things together bit by bit. Another memory passed into my brain.

_"But, sir... Why must I go to S.H.E.I.L.D? I like it here." I said as Stryker put me aboard the helicopter._

_"Because we have taught you everything we can here. Team X is your past now, S.H.E.I.L.D is your future. Do not embarrass us." Stryker turned on his heel and walked away._

_"Yes sir." I said quietly as I was lifted into the air and flown to my new 'home'._

I rubbed my head for a short while before filing the memory away. "They never cared about me." I said angrily, yet at the same time sadly. "They just traded me away, like a baseball card or somethin'. They didn't care about whatever feelings I might have." I got up and stalked out the door, ignoring the calls to come back. I slammed the door hard enough to shake the doorknob and ran to the Danger Room as a tigress. I slammed my fist into the button to open it and set it to the highest level I could without a password, level five.

I worked off my fury and rage in the Danger Room, dodging lasers and smashing robots. Memory after memory assaulted my head, most of them about different training simulations I had gone through. The simulated wars were the worst; there was so much blood everywhere. People died... I had killed them, killed families. Children and wives, husbands and grandparents... None had escaped.

And I could finally remember it all.

The robots were definitely more skilled at level five. I managed to get cut and sliced open more times than I want to count. I healed up and went at it again.

I was starting to tire, but I wasn't going to give in. I would fight my way through it all, regardless of the consequences.

I had been fighting for maybe ten minutes when I heard a mechanic female voice say from the ceiling "Manual override accepted. Danger Room shutdown initiated."

The robots fell still and went back into the wall or wherever they were kept, the lasers folded into the ceiling, the spinning saws retracted into their housings. I was left standing alone in a big, shiny room with bare walls and floor.

"HEY!" I shouted angrily toward the window of the Control Room. "I wasn't finished!!"

"Luna, you could have been hurt!" Scott's voice rang through the room.

I'll show him hurt... The egotistical control freak....

I trudged up the stairs and entered the Control Room. I stood with my hands behind my back, back straight and head up. I was in top military stance, the kind they teach you in the army. The kind that screamed respect.

Scott's next words nearly got him punched through a wall. I'm not kidding.

"You need to learn some respect! Learn some control!" he spat at me. Mr. Nice Guy had completely vanished and in his place stood Mr. flippin' Military wannabe.

"_I _need to learn control? What the hell do you think I came here for?" I took a step closer. Scott surprisingly held his position.

"I came here to learn control. I flippin' ran most the way here to learn how to control these!" I unsheathed my claws. The metallic SHINK! reverberated through the room. "And don't you dare tell me I need to learn respect!" I spat. "I've had respect crammed down my throat since I could run and talk at the same time! You don't fuckin' know what respect is until you've been where I've been." I took another step towards the idiot who dared tell me I needed to learn respect. "You think you've had it so hard! Try killing someone with yer bare hands when you're barely six years old. Try having grown men touch you in places that no one ever should and saying things that no child should ever hear. Try waking up morning after morning to some stranger's bed with nothing but his damn shirt on." A single tear slipped down my cheek as I remembered those fear-filled nights and early mornings, wearing nothing sometimes. "I have no idea what they might have done to me! I don't know what sick, twisted things they might have done!" I took another step, crazy with the memories of what the grown men had done to me.

There was a restraining hand on my shoulder in an instant. I growled shortly and the tags around my neck clinked softly together.

"Luna." the Professor started to speak and I rolled my eyes, but tuned in to listen. "Please watch your language. Now, Scott is right, you do need to learn control." I opened my mouth to respond and he held up a hand. "Let me finish. I also see your side of things. You have indeed learned respect, just differently than the rest of us have. Look at your stance. Typical teenagers usually slump or lean or look bored and cross their arms. You, however, are completely rigid, back straight and head up. You have the look of someone who has been in the military for some time." I had no idea were he was going with this.

"And?" I said.

The Professor never got to finish his little speech. Storm walked in and announced that someone was here to see Scott. A blond haired, brown-eyed teenager walked into the room. Scott walked over to him and they hugged, shared greetings, blah blah blah.

"Who is that?" I whispered to Logan.

"Scott's brother, Alex."

"Pity." I said with a grin. I walked over to the pair and stood in front of Alex. I waited for them to notice the 4'5" tiger-lady standing in front of them.

Finally, the six foot giant and his three inches taller counterpart looked down. Alex jumped back a step and his hands started to glow. "What is that thing?!"

"Whoa, bro! This is a new student, Luna Elvira Night. She just got here not too long ago." Scott said.

Alex relaxed and stepped forward again. I bared my teeth and snarled. "Thing? I'm a person, thankyouverymuch!"

"Sorry." Alex said.

I rolled my eyes. "So this is yer brother, right? Alex?"

Scott nodded. "Yep."

I sighed. "Joy. Are you anything like him?" I asked, turning Alex's direction and jerking my head toward Scott.

Alex laughed. "No, I'm the laid-back one."

"Good." I said. "We should get along just fine then." I sniffed the air around Alex. "You smell like salt. Do you surf?"

"Yeah, I just finished a surfing competition yesterday. How did you know-"

"I smelled the salt on you." I said.

"Ah. It looks like you have another Wolverine on your hands." Alex said, punching his brother playfully on the shoulder.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Scott mumbled.

"Aw, come on, bro! Lighten up." Alex said. "So, what's a guy have to do ta get something to eat around here? I'm starved!"

"Dinner's going to be served soon, hold on." Scott said, leading Alex out of the room.

Remy walked into the room shortly after. He saw the enraged look on my face and asked "Qu'est-il arrivé ici ?" What happened here?

"Scott." Laura said.

Remy nodded and knelt beside me. "Come on, chere. Scott's just like that. He'll come 'round, you see."

I shook my head and walked out of the room, steps measured and precise. It was a habit I couldn't get rid of, I walked like a military brat.

I walked back to my room and stared at the thing sitting on my bed. It looked like a camera. An expensive camera. I picked it up and pushed the on button and saw that it was a digital camera. I didn't know how to work it, so I took it to the genius down the hall, Kitty Pryde.

I knocked on the door and Kitty phased me in.

"How do you work this?" I asked, holding up the camera.

She showed me for the past half-hour how to work the thing, then took my picture with it.

"See? Now push this to take a picture and voila! Instant memories!"

I took the camera from her and held it up like she had shown me. "Like this?" I snapped her picture as she posed for it.

"Exactly. Here, you can have my old photo album. I never used it." Kitty said, digging around in the bookshelf. She held up a black album with golden corners and lettering.

I took it from here and nodded. "Thank you." I said, stepping out of the room and going back to my own. I decided that I wanted to remember each and every person here at Xavier's, so I took my camera, with memory card that could hold thousands of pictures, and headed to the kitchen.

I snapped picture after picture, eventually managing to 'capture' everyone at the mansion. Finally, there were only two left. Laura and Logan.

I found them in the gym, training or whatever they were doing.

"Say cheese!" I said, snapping the two separate pictures. I set my camera down in a safe corner and joined them in whatever they were doing.

I sat down beside them on a mat, silent and watching. No one spoke for a while.

I finally broke the silence. "What are you doin'?"

"Meditation." Logan replied.

"So shut up." Laura said.

I did just that and crossed my legs and closed my eyes. I sat there for the better part of an hour, silent and unmoving.

I shuddered slightly when I remembered what those men had done to knock me unconscious and get to their rooms. Two tears slipped from my eyes and I wiped them off, standing up. I walked out of the room alone, grabbing my camera as I left. I went up the stairs to my room and sat on my bed. I shuddered violently as a memory surfaced. A very, uh, _graphic _memory. Kids under fourteen, skip ahead and don't read this.

_I was sitting alone in a room with nothing but white everywhere. It was a hospital room. I had been called there supposedly on Fury's orders._

_I turned as the door closed and locked with a soft click. A young man stood in front of it. He slowly turned around and I smelled the sharp tint of lust on his skin._

_"Stay away." I warned him._

_He simply laughed and, quick as a flash, jabbed a needle into me. "This will prevent you from using your powers for a few hours." he told me, watching as the fluid drained into my system. "Including your claws."_

_He was right, I couldn't spring my claws open. "What are you gonna do to me?" I asked, trying to keep the fear from my voice._

_He lazily started to unbutton his shirt and unbuckle his belt. "You'll see." he said. He ripped the shirt off me and tore my bra off. It was mandatory, don't ask. He yanked off my boots and socks, unzipped my pants and pulled them off my kicking legs. He yanked my underwear down, leaving me completely exposed. He finished taking his clothes off and commanded me to lie down on the bed. He was completely aroused and I shivered as he touched me. One of the troops had given me "the talk" so I knew what was about to happen._

_"I'm going to show you what a real man is like." he whispered in me ear, squeezing my nipples and inserting a finger inside me._

I shuddered as the memory played out, unable to stop it. I wouldn't go near a hospital room after that.

I cried as I remembered everything they had done to me. The memories suddenly flooded in. I couldn't stop them, they assaulted my head, giving me a pounding headache. I cried out as the pain intensified to an almost unbearable level.

My head felt like it was about to explode and I screamed aloud. The memories rushed in, filling the void that had been placed there. I could finally remember everything.

It hurt, too.

The door crashed open and I screamed again. A man stepped into the room. A full-grown man. I couldn't tell who it was, didn't _want _to know who it was.

"Stay away from me!" I screamed.

"Luna, I'm here ta help!" the man said, stepping toward me.

"That's what they always say!" I shrieked, terrified of this stranger in my room.

Soon, there was a crowd of people outside my doorway and in my room.

"We want to help!" they all said.

A girl knelt beside me, another soon followed. One with red hair, the other with black. "You have to fight this!" the girl with black hair said, looking me in the eyes.

"Laura?" I whispered. "Jean?"

They nodded and I fell into them, sobbing. "Keep them away from me!" I sobbed. "Don't let them hurt me!"

"No one is going to hurt you, Luna." Jean said, stroking my hair.

I felt the tears slip down my face. _This isn't me! _I screamed in my mind. _I'm a weapon, a killer! I don't cry!_

I lifted my head and wiped the tears away hastily, less I receive a beating for them. I remembered the beatings for my weakness, for any tears.

I looked around the room cautiously, into each concerned face. No one had ever been concerned about me before, I remembered. I had always been beaten, abused, yelled at.

Never cared for.

My eyes fell on the man that had burst into my room. Logan.

I shuddered as I recalled the scene that had triggered everything. John stepped forward and reached a hand out to me. My eyes flashed and, quicker than you could say 'huh?', I screamed "Don't touch me!" and slammed him into the wall. I gathered myself for a spring that would finish him, shifting my weight to the balls of my feet, in order to launch toward the boy who had tried to touch me.

"Luna, stop!" Laura yelled and grabbed my arms, preventing me from going anywhere. I struggled to free myself, violently twisting my arms around. Laura clung to them tightly, however, and finally I slumped down to the floor.

"Let me go!" I yelled, giving one more wrench to twist free.

"Calm down." Laura said and Logan knelt in front of me. I shook when he reached up a hand to touch my face.

"It's alright, yer safe. Calm down." he said soothingly. I still shook, though not as bad. I flinched when he touched my cheek and he drew his hand away with a hurt look. "I ain't gonna hurtcha." he said.

"How do I know that?" I challenged. "Everyone else does. Why should you be any different?"

"Because we're the good guys. We help people learn to cope." Jean said.

"I don't _need _ta learn learn cope. I cope just fine."I hissed.

"_This _is what you call coping? Yelling at random people? Why did you scream when you saw Logan?" Scott demanded. He was getting on my nerves quick.

"None of yer da- dang business." I said, quickly fixing my language at the Professor's look.

"Luna, would you allow me another look into your mind? Maybe I could help you." the Professor said, gliding his chair toward me.

"NO!" I screamed, finally twisting out of Laura's grasp. I bounced on my bed and jumped straight into the air, barely grasping the ceiling beam with my fingers. I pulled myself up, balancing with my tail. "Stay out of my head!"

"Luna, we just want to help!" Storm said, floating up to where I was.

"I don't _need _help!" I spat. "I can take care of myself."

"No, child, you cannot. You need some help from others. Now, please. Why are you acting like this?" Storm asked.

"People hurt me." I said. "All the time, every day, they hurt me." I said coldly, crouching down on the narrow beam.

"We won't hurt you. Please allow the Professor some insight into your situation." Storm pleaded with me.

I tilted my head. "You promise you won't hurt me?" I asked childishly.

Storm nodded. "Of course. Now, please. Come down." She held out her hand, but I jumped to the ground. I landed on all fours, cat-like and silent, just like the assassin I was. I stood still as the Professor placed his hands gently on my head and closed his eyes.

A few minutes later he opened them again. I could see in his eyes that he had witnessed my "trigger memory" of the hospital room.

"Luna, this is serious. This could be very damaging to your psyche if left unattended." the Professor said after awhile.

"My psyche is just fine." I snapped.

"John's out cold." Bobby reported, shooting me a glare. "Why'd ya snap at him? He was only tryin' to help you!" he said accusingly.

I growled. "He shouldn't have tried ta touch me." I snarled.

"He-" Bobby started to say something, but the Professor stopped him.

"Bobby, please help Hank escort John down to the Medical Lab." he said smoothly.

Bobby didn't say anything, just turned and walked down the hall with John in Hank's arms.

I glared at the retreating figures and swiveled my ears around when I heard the Professor start to speak.

"Luna, we need to discuss what I have just witnessed in your mind." he said gently.

I sighed. "Fine." I said shortly. "What's there ta say?"

"Would you allow me to show the others?" he asked gently.

"I don't care." I said, lowering my eyes to the carpet. "Show them, I don't care."

The Professor nodded and we all (Scott, Jean, Storm, Laura, Logan, the Professor, Remy, Kitty, Rogue, Alex, and Evan) went into the room where Cerebro was kept. The Professor strapped himself in and concentrated on the memory. It was played on the huge screen in front of us. I forced myself to watch, to feel the raw anger at that stupid boy. At what he'd done to me.

At what they'd all done to me.

The scene finally ended and there was shocked silence. I stared at the ground in shame, my ears burning. Hot tears threatened to fall and I stubbornly held them back.

"Luna.... That's awful!" Rogue said.

"Yeah! Is that why you wouldn't, like, let any of the guys near you earlier?" Kitty asked.

I nodded. "Yeah." I whispered.

"Luna, didn't anyone ever do or say anything to that guy?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. Didn't you tell anyone?" Evan asked.

I smiled wryly and gave a bitter laugh. "Right, that would work."

"Chere, Remy t'ink dat you should have told someone." Remy said.

"You don't understand. I'm nothing. I'm an experiment, something that a group of scientists created, designed to destroy and kill. I was trained to submit to my superiors, and to be above the ones that I deem inferior." I said. "To be the best at what I do. Killing. And hey, if the other soldiers get something out of it, the better for them. I had no say, no freedoms. I was at their mercy, and they showed none."

"That's terrible..." Jean said. "No wonder you went postal on everyone."

I nodded. "Yeah..." I felt sick to my stomach, thinking about the nights that I'd been drugged, waking up with no recollection of what happened the night before.

"Luna, what can we do to help you? How can we make you more comfortable here?" Jean asked kindly.

I shrugged. "Just...Give me my space, I guess. Don't force me into anything..." _Don't hit me._

"How did the soldiers treat ya le petit petit de tigre?" Remy asked.

They hit me, beat me, slapped me, yelled at me. It doesn't matter. It all went away the next day. Nothing mattered." I said. "Why'd ya call me little tiger cub anyways?"

"You speak French?" Remy said in surprise.

"Oui, Je snuck dans une classe française." Yes, I snuck into a French class. "Pourquoi ya m'appellerait le petit petit de tigre? " Why'd ya call me little tiger cub?

"Because ya look like a little tiger cub, chere." Remy answered. "What ya mean, 'it doesn't matter'? 'Course it matters. They hurt you, chere."

"It's not any different than any other day, so why should I be too upset about it? How does that give me the right to be hurt or offended or mad about it? It doesn't." _It's not like I have any rights anyways..._

"Alright, mon petite. Calm down..." Remy said soothingly.

I backed down a little and sat down on the floor. I just didn't understand why anyone would be so nice to me... Did they want something?

"Look, if you guys want something, just ask. I don't like to play games, especially mind games. So if you want something from me, I'll try to do whatever you want." I said finally, looking up at the cluster of people.

"We've already told ya, sugah. All we want is fer you ta control yer powers." Rogue said, offering me a hand to help me up.

I didn't take it, I've literally fallen for that trick before. I got up on my own and turned to walk out of the room.

"Luna, one more thing." the Professor said. " Today is a Sunday, which means..."

Everyone groaned. "School tomorrow."

The Professor smiled. "That is correct. Please do not be alarmed when you wake up and most everyone is gone."

"What time does school start?" I asked.

"Eight in the morning. We have to be there by, like, seven-thirty though. We're always the last ones in." Kitty explained.

"So most of us should be up by seven." Scott said.

I nodded. "Y'all sure get up late." I said before walking out the door.


	6. More Shock

Notes and Reviews:

O.K., I've had this really weird dream about Luna being locked up in an abandoned Wal-Mart for six months or so for some strange odd reason.... If y'all want me to attempt to write it in, just let me know in a review/PM....

Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable... -sigh-

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

I shot out of bed the moment I sensed the Sun peeking above the horizon, less I receive a beating for waking late. I tossed some clothes on and ran down to the kitchen, sliding around the corner before I remembered that no one was even up, that I was safe at the Institute. I sat down in a chair and settled in to wait the two hours until everyone else woke.

Finally, I heard various alarms going off. One by one, the X-Men shuffled sleepily down the stairs, most of them already dressed. Kurt teleported, Kitty phased through the walls, Scott and Jean walked in, almost holding hands but not quite. Evan was the last to stumble in, yawning and rubbing his arms.

"Man it's cold!" he complained, pulling up a chair. "So, when's Danger Room practice today?"

"We'll eat and practice this morning for half an hour. Then we gotta get to school." Scott said, glancing at his watch.

I remained unobserved in the corner, hidden in the shadows.

At least I thought I was.

"Luna, you're not invisible ya know." Laura said as soon as she walked into the kitchen.

Logan walked in right behind her. "Yeah kid. Come on out."

"Don't call me that." I muttered darkly, moving from the shadows into the buzzing florescent light. "I'm not a kid."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Whatever." she muttered, grabbing a piece of bacon right out of the pan.

"Luna, did you even sleep las' night?" Kurt asked around the toast in his mouth.

"'Course I did." I replied.

"Yeah, for how long? You went to bed later than us and got up earlier. When'd ya sleep?" Evan asked, spearing a piece of sausage.

"From three ta five, like normal." I replied, puzzled by their reactions and questions.

Kitty nearly choked on her juice. Piotr had to pound her on the back to get her breathing.

"Two hours!?" she shrieked when she could breathe again. "Like, how do you stand it? I'd like, die from exhaustion or something!"

I looked at her coldly. "Yeah, you would." I said, retreating back into my corner, since the exits were blocked by Jamie and his clones.

"Luna, that's not what I meant. I was only surprised that you manage to function with that amount of sleep is all." Kitty explained, trying to see me in the dark.

I shifted so only my face showed. "O.K." I said simply, withdrawing back into the shadows.

"Luna, aren't ya gonna eat breakfast, chere?" Remy asked, looking up from the bacon he was attacking.

"Breakfast?" I tilted my head, drawing slightly out of the shadows. "What's breakfast?"

"Vhas? You do not know vhat breakfast iz?" Kurt asked, almost falling out of his chair in surprise.

"Uh, no... Am I suppose to?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

"Yeah, it's the most important meal of the day!" Jamie piped up. Everyone shushed him quietly.

"Breakfast is the first meal that you eat in the day. It helps you focus." Jean said, digging a spoon into some cereal.

I shrugged. "Sure." I said sarcastically. "If you say so." I shook my head and watched as everyone ate their various food items.

"So you mean to tell me that you've _never _had breakfast before?" Piotr asked. (A.N. Sorry if I butchered Piotr, I'm not used to him really speaking or his speaking style...)

"Nope." I said with an affirmative nod. I stood up and walked out to the back, steering clear of the pool. I pushed my way into the woods and perched in a tree just past the edge.

I eventually heard everyone leave for 'school' and stayed outside, waiting for someone. Someone who I should have been afraid of, and was afraid of to an extent. But he radiated a strange kind of peace, of understanding, and... love?

Logan finally showed up and climbed beside me in the tree. I sighed and looked at my hands with a muttered 'hi'.

"Well hello ta you to, sunsprite." he said, glancing at my hands.

"Hey, Logan." I said softly. "Or do you prefer Wolverine?"

"Logan's fine, ki- Luna." he said. "What're ya doin' out here all alone? Yer a sittin' duck out here."

I shrugged. "Not like it matters. I'll just escape, or heal if they kill me."

"Think about the team, Luna. What are they gonna do if they come home and find out that the newest member of their 'family' was taken?"

"Family." I whispered. I suddenly became panicked as I thought about what I'd been told my whole life. "Family! No, I can't have a family! I can't! I don't have a family!" My eyes widened as I thought about the idea.

"Whoa there! Calm down!" Logan said, grabbing my arms and forcing me to look into his eyes. "Slow down. Now, what do you mean you can't have a family? You have a family here, of sorts."

"No no no!! I'll hurt them! I always do! That's why I had ta run away from the orphanage. I always wound up hurting my foster family. I CAN'T!!!" I struggled to get free, to no avail. Tears threatened to spill over, but I held them back. I was usually slapped or beaten if I showed tears, so I held them in.

"Chill kid. You're not gonna hurt anyone here, understand? We can defend ourselves near as good as anyone, got it? Jus' calm down."

I took a deep breath and stared into his calm, baby blue eyes. "O.K." I said. After a few minutes, I asked softly, "Logan, do you trust me?"

"Some, yeah." he said, still pinning my arms down.

I nodded. "Thank you." I said, laying my head down on his chest. I felt him tense slightly, then he relaxed after a minute. He let go of my arms and awkwardly rubbed my back. I looked up and pushed away from him self-consciously.

"Y'allright?" he asked, looking me in the eyes again. Stupid lie detector...

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said softly. "Just a little... confused I guess." I jumped to the ground and walked back into the mansion. _Stop getting close to him! _I chided myself. _You can't get close to anyone! You always hurt them, so just suck it up and show them no emotion!_

I walked into the Danger Rom and locked myself in, cranking the level up again. I fought until the others came back from 'school' and blasted the door open. I went into a routine of death-defying acrobatics and clawed through all the robots. I beheaded one, tore the legs off another, and tore out the battery pack from the chest of a third. My claws glinted in the artificial light as I used them and my sharp nails both to hack through a fourth machine.

"Ya know, ya coulda jus' knocked." I panted when they busted the door open. I flipped off a wall and shredded through the cannons on the ceiling, getting burned when I came back down. I put the fire on my fur out, slowly coming out of the rage a robot had unleashed. I brought myself slowly out of the berserker rage, fighting not to attack the people behind me. I finally calmed down enough to turn around and speak to them, always wary of a surprise attack.

"We did knock." Alex said, looking around at the demolished room. "What have you been doing in here? Having a war?"

"Trainin'."I said, ears pricking up as I caught the sound of a robot charging me. "Hold that thought." I flipped backwards into the air and landed slightly behind the robot, plunging my hand into the battery and slinging it into the wall. The robot powered down and was drawn into the wall to be repaired.

"Now, what were we sayin'?" I said, still listening for any more attacks.

"Cancel training session. Cyclops override 354-G55678." Scott said, stepping into the room.

"Manual override accepted. Danger Room shutting down." the annoying mechanical voice said.

I looked fiercely at the dummy in the sunglasses. "I wasn't finished!" I hissed.

"For one, you've obviously been training for awhile. And for two, we need the Danger Room to train in." Scott said in an almost smug tone, with authority thrown in.

I growled and turned on my heel, slamming my fist into the wall as I left. "Ya want it? Take it!" I spat before turning the corner and heading up to my room.

*******************************

I was downstairs at the crack of dawn again. I had yet to calm down, even though I had prowled around the mansion for the better part of the night and well into the early morning. I sat with my back to the wall, leaning against the wall in a chair. I counted slowly to thirty, inhaling and exhaling slowly. I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing and heartbeat, calming myself down. It became easier after years of practice, and I didn't want to take anyone's head off when they walked into the kitchen for breakfast. I glanced at the clock. _Twenty-two minutes and eight seconds before the first alarm. _I thought to myself. A thought came to my head just then. _I wonder if telepaths can read my thoughts? Or did the government people put barriers in it? It's worth looking into..._

I mused over the possibilities silently and Jean walked into the room, hand-in-hand with Scott.

"Morning." she said, grabbing a bowl and cereal.

I ignored them and silently watched as Alex walked in, followed shortly after by Kurt and Kitty, then Piotr, then Remy and Rogue, followed by Laura. Everyone shuffled in eventually, Logan being the last to finally swagger in.

Nobody really spoke to me, which suited me just fine. I sat in the dark corner again, alone. I wasn't bothered by it I told myself. I've always been alone, I didn't care...

The Professor got everyone's attention somehow, Logan shutting everyone up with a loud whistle. "Thank you, Logan." Professor said, drawing his fingers together. "Now, students, I have heard about the little spat that happened yesterday shortly after school."

Great.

"I have come to the conclusion that we need a schedule set up. Luna, what sort of schooling have you had?" the Professor asked, turning toward me.

"Combat training, hand-to-hand, judo, karate, kick boxing, stop me or you'll be here awhile." I said.

"No, no. I meant schooling as in math, English, that sort of thing." he said.

"Oh... Let's see..... Well, I can read and write... Do I think up to fifth or sixth grade math... Uh.... I don't know, really beyond that without taking some sort of test." I said somewhat sheepishly.

"Very well. You will take a placement test today at noon. After school we will work out a temporary danger Room schedule. For now, however, you need to get to school. Luna, you may use it until the others get back from school and then you must let them train. Is that understood?"

"Yes Professor." everyone mumbled, heading to the garage and off to school.

I dashed up the stairs to the Danger Room and immediately got started. I kicked the snot out of the robots, getting cut and burned a few times. I trained for hours, never stopping until the others got back. They again crashed through the door, Angel in the lead this time. He flashed me a smile and picked me up easily.

"Put me down!" I said furiously.

"If you say so." he said, dumping me on the floor outside the door.

I scowled up at him and got to my feet. I crossed my arms and gave him my best death-glare.

"What?" he asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes and walked down the hall and up the stairs to my room. _They don't like me... _I thought to myself.

_Who cares? _I snarled to myself.

I smelled and heard Kitty long before she phased through my door. "Hey, Luna? Me, Rogue, and Jubilee are goin' to the store. We thought you might want to come to, you know, to get some clothes and stuff?" she said, glancing at my old clothes from when I first got here. "My clothes don't fit you, or else you could borrow some."

I sighed and nodded. "I'll be down shortly." I said and she left. I shrugged on my trenchcoat and hat and pulled on my gloves. I left my feet bare, since I'd lost my boots and Kitty's were much too big. I slid down the banister to the 'Entrance Hall', or 'Foyer', whatever they called it. Kitty and the other two were already there, waiting and they raised their eyebrows at my appearance.

"Ain't ya gonna grab some shoes?"Rogue asked, looking at my bare feet.

"Number one, I don't have any. And number two, don't need nor want any. They restrict movement and make it to where I can't use my nails if need be." I said practically.

"That's great 'n' all, but you won't need yer nails here." Rogue said.

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "Let's just go!" she said enthusiastically.

My nose twitched as two new scents floated down the hall."We've go company." I said, turning around just as Logan and Laura appeared into view.

Jubilee groaned. "We were gonna have some fun! C'm'on, Wolve! Why do you have ta tag along?"

"Believe me, kid, it ain't by choice. Laura and me got roped into chaperonin' ya by Chuck." Logan said, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, not my idea of a fun afternoon." Laura added.

Everyone groaned and we walked out the door. Logan made us all pile into his Jeep and we drove off.

*****************************

"Come on, Luna! That outfit is soooooo cute!" Jubilee squealed.

I scowled and wrinkled my nose at the bright pink sweater outfit. "Nope." I said, grabbing a tight, pure-black outfit and dashing off to the changing rooms with it. I nabbed a pair of black combat boots on my way, just for 'fun', and quickly changed into it.

The store was completely deserted, save for the bored checkout clerk and us. I walked out of the changing room and was met with astonished looks. "Well, what do ya think?" I asked, whiskers twitching in amusement at the looks.

"It's..... I don't know...." Kitty struggled for words.

"It's, uh.... Interesting...." Jubilee said, for once at a loss for words.

"It's so... Secret agent..." Rogue said.

I nodded. "Perfect." I said, disappearing once again into the dressing room to change back into my clothes.

"Luna, that is _not _the only thing you're getting!" Jubilee hollered through the door.

I rolled my eyes and grumbled under my breath. "Fine." I said, stepping back out with my old clothes back on.

I spent another hour trying on clothes and then we could finally leave. I had gotten four outfits approved by me, and two 'cute' outfits approved by Kitty, Rogue, and Jubilee.

Ugh. Shoot me.

Why must I be tortured? Why?

Well, we walked out of that particular store with a few bags, talking like friends and whatnot, got in the car, and drove back to the mansion. We took care of our things, and I was just settling in for a small catnap, a rare thing for me, lemme tell ya, when the Professor spoke in my mind.

_"Luna, there is a short meeting in the War Room. We have someone who might be able to answer your questions."_

Needless to say, I hurried after that particular conversation.

I ran straight to the War Room. I was told to stay hidden until called and just listen, which I was glad to do.

What I heard shocked me.

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Short chapter, sorry! I had to find some cut-off point, or this chapter could go for awhile, lol. Hope you enjoyed, please R&R!!

-12kirby12


	7. Answers and Peace?

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: Luna is nine years old. I purposely made her young because, 1. I like to write about younger kids because... I don't know, it's just fun... :P and for 2. I sorta wanted to prove that no matter how young she is, she can overcome near anything, alone or with help.

Spiel is over, thanks for 'listening', reading, whatever... XD

Drama and fighting ahead! Also, my lovely reviewers/readers, I NEED IDEAS!! Pretty please!

Anyways, a random quote that I just found (might wind up starting each chapter with one of these... hmmm....): **It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives. **

**-Unknown**

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"She was brought in when she was about six years old. Stryker immediately put her through the Weapon X process, and allowed her only an hour's recovery time before forcing her through intense training. He refused to lower the intensity of the training, and the girl got hurt numerous times. She was pushed too hard, but Stryker insisted that she be pushed harder. He had her whipped if she performed below his ridiculous expectations and she eventually lost all emotions. She stopped smiling, laughing, crying, everything. It broke my heart, but I couldn't say anything. It was made clear that my life depended on it.

"Stryker kept her for a full year, then traded her over to Fury and S.H.E.I.L.D. I followed and watched as Fury ran her through war simulations, again and again. She was forced to kill real humans, to get a taste for killing. He put her through grueling obstacle courses, sometimes for days at a time. He sometimes starved her if she didn't perform as well as he had hoped. She became even more withdrawn, and also more violent. Fury wanted that, he wanted her fierce. He beat her when she became too wild and she eventually submitted to him. He had her under his control. I almost couldn't bear to watch, but I had to, for her sake.

"She was denied any source of joy or entertainment. No toys, games, puzzles, nothing. She couldn't play with other children and as a result, her social skills suffered. She wouldn't talk, wouldn't cry, wouldn't laugh. She was a shell of the little girl that had first appeared.

"When she was almost nine years old, they did something to her mind, scrambled the memories up. They didn't erase them, just left her hopelessly confused. They told me that they needed the memories intact, because once the girl turned twelve, they were going to hand her over to HYDRA. In the meantime, she was to remain with the Brotherhood, denied of all food but the MREs provided. She was not to have contact with anyone outside of the Brotherhood at all, less she remember her training. I lost touch after that, I have no idea what's become of her." All the X-Men, both 'old' and 'new', were captivated by the woman and the story she unfolded.

Finally, I was brought out. "This is the little girl that you turned into a weapon. This is the little girl who's life you destroyed because everyone only saw an animal and test subject. You remember that, lady." Logan said, giving a glare at the woman.

Tears ran down the woman's face. "I'm so sorry, Weapon X-26." She looked right at me.

"_What _did you call me?" I snarled, leaning in close to the woman's face.

"That was the name they gave you. They combined Weapon X and X-23 and then added three years to it. The result was Weapon X-26." She looked fearfully at me and I backed off.

"My name," I spat. "is Luna. Remember it." I crouched down on the floor and looked up at the tear-stained face of the woman.

She only nodded, then swallowed hard and spoke again in a whisper. "Do... Do you have the dogtags Stryker assigned you?"

I looked questioningly at her before slowly bringing my dogtags into view.

She looked closely at them, then slowly read the engraved words aloud.

"Luna Elvira Night. Weapon X Project. Team X. Weapon X-26. Tigress." She looked down at me and I looked steadily back.

"Read the other one." I whispered, entranced by the moment.

"I'm the best there is at what I do."

I nodded. "That's right." I said.

"Oh, Luna! I'm... I'm so sorry...." Tears again fell from the woman's eyes and my ears lowered to my head as I regarded the poor woman. "I should have... I mean, I could have... I should have stopped them..." The woman babbled on and on, finally coming to a stop with a shuddering breath.

"Miss Parker, I assure you that Luna has had a very happy and productive life so far here at the Institute." Professor said assuringly to the sobbing woman before him.

The woman looked up at him. "She has? That's good..." she said, glancing back at me.

I shrugged. "It's been.... eventful." I said finally.

"So, you remember everything now?" the woman asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so." I said.

"So then... You remember that Sabretooth-"

I cut her off. "Is my father? Yeah." I said, biting back a snarl and growl at the bitter words. There were gasps around the room and then a low warning growl.

"Weap- I mean, Luna I had no choice. They would have killed me if I didn't cooperate, you _know _that. I feel awful about it, but there was nothing I could do. If they killed me, things would only get worse for you." Miss Parker said.

I nodded. This woman was looking out for herself, it was human, and mutant, nature. "I understand, Miss Parker. Believe me, I understand." I said, almost sadly, but not quite.

Her next words shocked me.

"Do you forgive me? _Can _you ever forgive me?"

I stared at her. "For-give?"

She nodded. "Yes, forgive. As in, umm.... let go of your feelings for revenge? Or... the bitter feelings towards someone?" the woman tried to explain.

I tilted my head. "You? Yeah, I can forgive you." I left out Stryker, S.H.E.I.L.D, and the others that had hurt me.

"I'm sorry..." she said again and I stood up. I _still _could not grasp the concept of apologizing.

"_What _is there to be sorry for? _Why _are you sorry? You did your job, that's all you _could _do." I said fiercely, angrily.

"That's not...." she sighed. "That's not... the point. When you're sorry about something bad or wrong that you've done, or even if you aren't in some cases, you should apologize for it."

"Why?"

"Because.... You just do, I don't know... It's something my mother always told me to do-" She realized her mistake a heartbeat too late.

The air in the room changed and it seemed like everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see what I would do. I just stood there, fists clenched, breathing sharp and irregular, fighting the rage at those words. I released the breath slowly, letting the air hiss out between my lips.

"My mother never had that chance, did she?" I said quietly before turning around slowly and walking out of the room. Everyone parted out of the way and I passed through easily.

I paused outside the door and turned halfway around. "Thank you." I said, the words strange on my tongue. "For everything." I turned and walked down the hallway, turned and ran up the stairs.

I laid down on my bed, fighting the tears, the feelings, the emotions. "I don't _have _emotions!" I told myself fiercely. "I don't, I don't, I don't!" I said over and over. "I'm not a person, I'm an experiment. That's all I'll ever be... That's all I was designed to be." That's all I'd ever be....

A killer.

I repeated this over and over in my mind. '_Killer, killer, killer... That's all you'll ever be...'_

"Why?" I whispered to myself. "Why am I nothing but a killer? Why?" I shook my head and stood up. I unsheathed all my claws, then slowly fought to sheathe one. Just one. I chose the pinky on my dominant hand (right) and concentrated on slowly retracting just that finger into my skin. I bit my lip from the pain, my sharp canines cutting them. Blood trickled into my mouth and I closed my eyes and furrowed my brow in pain and concentration. The claw went halfway in...

…and then I lost it...

I gave a frustrated growl and retracted all my claws. _Why can't I remember how to control all my claws? _I wondered.

_Simple. They never taught me how. They wanted HYDRA to._

So I never learned how to control my abilities, my "gifts", though to me they were curses. All of them.

I sighed and slowly, and somewhat painfully, transformed into a tiger cub. It was kind of painful, considering I had to completely break down my structure and 'mold' a new one. The adamantium somehow didn't interfere with it, even though it was coated on my bones.

Science. Pfffttt.

I succeeded in transforming and switching multiple colors, ranging from black to pink, orange to purple, green to red, and so on.

I transformed back into Luna and stretched. "Got that covered." I said to myself. "Now to go train."

Which I did.

I punched in the code to the Danger Room, then cranked the level up to five once again. I completed the mission successfully, though there were many areas in which I noted that I could improve.

That being done, I went outside to practice some more at transforming into an adult tigress. I needed to learn control over it, people would get hurt otherwise.

I slowly started to morph. My hands and feet become paws, my arms became legs. My face pointed down and melted into a muzzle, and my ears repositioned themselves slightly lower and to the right a bit. My canines sharpened into dagger-points, gleaming in the fading sunlight. I held onto the transformation for all of ten seconds before I lost it as well, transforming back into Luna forcefully. The transformation left me shaky and weak, panting for breath. I snarled to myself. _You're weak! _I told myself. _Get it right! Do it again!_

I got to my feet and began to transform again, opting for the tiger cub again. I only got halfway though the transformation before I changed back, utterly exhausted. I collapsed onto my hands and knees, gasping for air. A single tear slid down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away. _No emotions._

I shakily got to my feet once again, panting for breath. I slashed a nearby tree in anger with my regular nails, slicing the thin branch off easily. _I'm an assassin! It shouldn't be this hard! What am I doing wrong?! Why am I so weak?!_

I shook in fury at myself for being the little girl that I could never be again. I had to be strong, invincible. I had to... it was the price of remembering.

The price of reclaiming my memories.

My ears pricked up and my nose quivered. There was a scent on the breeze.... No, two scents... Ferals.... Almost identical scents, but not quite...

Logan and Laura.

I turned around to face them as they entered the small clearing I had found in the woods. I drew myself unconsciously up to my full four-and-a-half foot height. I wasn't getting any taller, the adamantium made sure of that.

"Luna, what are ya doin' out here by yerself?" Logan asked gruffly, lighting a cigar.

"Practicin'." I said almost innocently.

"Practicin' what?" Laura asked, almost growling in impatience.

"My powers." I said with a scowl. I wrinkled my nose at the overpowering smell of the cigar.

"Charles said he'd help ya with 'em." Logan said, glancing at me for a moment before taking a long drag on the cigar.

"Yeah, I've heard that one before." I said with a smirk. "Never seems ta happen, does it?"

"Look, Luna. We'll help ya, but ya gotta trust us." Laura said.

I crossed my arms and frowned. "Why should I?" I challenged.

"Because we can help ya control yer powers and deal with yer past." Logan said.

I sighed and thought it over carefully, weighing the pros and cons carefully. "If I do trust you," I said slowly, thinking as I talked, "then what would you give me in return?"

"Control. Freedom. A home and family. Pick one." Logan said.

I nodded. "Alright then..." I said, hesitating slightly.

"Great. Now come on. Danger Room session." Logan said, walking towards the mansion. He glanced back to see if I was following.

I got up and followed them to the door of the mansion. Jean came running out, looking around. She smiled and ran towards us when she spotted us.

"Oh, thank goodness you've found her!" she said, looking at Logan and Laura. She knelt down and gently took me by the shoulders. I almost flinched, but gained control at the last second. _No emotions, no flinches..._

"You can't take off like that! Everyone was worried!" Jean said, looking me in the eyes.

"What? What do you mean 'concerned about' me? They knew I'd be around." I said.

Jean shook her head. "No, Luna, we didn't. We were afraid that you had run away, or gotten lost or something terrible had happened to you. Please, let someone know before you just run off again."

I didn't reply and we continued on into the sub-levels. There was a strange feeling in my heart, a foreign feeling. _Concern? Is that what it is?_

The feeling quickly died when we encountered an angry Cyclops on our way to the Danger Room.

"Luna!" he shouted, striding quickly over towards us. "Where have you been? You've got the entire mansion in an uproar with your disappearance!" he yelled, standing right in front of me. "Why would you just run off like that? You need to learn to control yourself!" He was practically in my face and it was quickly making me angry.

"Get out of my face." I said quietly, warning clear in my tone.

He refused to move. I waited for five seconds, then let him really have it.

"I SAID MOVE!" I screamed with a swift snap-kick to the chest. The force of it knocked him into the opposite wall, where he laid with a groan. I snarled and readied myself for the leap that would place my claws at his throat when there was a voice screaming at the end of the hall.

"Luna! NO!" the voice screamed and I heard fast footsteps running towards me. I turned my head just in time to see Jean dash over to Scott, tears in her eyes. "Don't hurt him, Luna! I know you don't want to." The last words were a soft whisper, barely audible. I shook as I tried to contain the animal that yelled at me to finish him.

_No. _I said in my mind. _No. I won't hurt him. I... I WON'T! _The words were a loud, feral roar in my mind and I forcibly threw myself from the man in front of me. I ran down the hallway, ignoring the shouts of 'Don't run! Come back! Luna! Kid!' I sprinted swiftly to the garage with all the vehicles, picking one at random and throwing myself in the trunk, springing it open with a claw. I slammed the trunk down and tried to catch my breath. It was dark, but nothing I couldn't handle with my night-sight. I slowed my breathing to a light breezy whisper and waited.

I was in there for maybe ten minutes before I was found. The trunk was opened and I was met with a Laura. A very.... angry-looking Laura.

I climbed out of the trunk and Logan caught me around the wrist before I could escape. He slung me across his shoulder and, despite my howls, carried me back to the Danger Room hallway. Scott was still lying there, Jean beside him. He managed to stand up, leaning heavily on the wall, and I could have sworn he was glaring at me.

"Say it." Logan growled, his grip on my shoulder tightening.

I rolled my eyes, but said the words regardless. "I'm sorry." I said in a not-so-apologetic tone. I glared at Logan. "Happy?"

Logan just sighed and shook his head. He released my shoulder and I jerked it out of his grip, examining the purple bruises on it. They started to fade shortly, so I flicked my tail and walked away. No one stopped me, no one spoke to me. I walked straight back to my room and sat on the bed, going through everything that had happened. _I almost lost it... But I controlled myself... But I almost killed him... But I didn't... But I almost _did_... But I didn't..._

The battle continued in my mind until I heard a new voice. One I had dreaded hearing.

_Luna, would you please come up to my office? I think we need to have a talk._

I grumbled something under my breath, but got up and headed to his office anyways. I walked in (the door was half-open) and stood in the middle of the room. "You wanted to see me, sir?" I said, eyes on the floor.

"Yes, Luna. I believe that we need to discuss your... issue of control." the Professor said.

I looked up and saw Logan, Laura, and Jean standing with the Professor, all looking serious. Scott was nowhere to be seen. For the first time, I wondered if I had hurt him. It was strange, worrying about someone else.

I cleared my throat and met Jean's eyes. "Did I hurt him?" I asked quietly, hand jumping to my fur and the other to my dogtag.

"He's in the Infirmary right now, being checked up on by Hank." she said, a little stiffly to my ears.

I nodded and my ears lowered slightly."I'm sorry..." I said, this time sincere. _Stop stop stop! _I thought, panicked.

I could see an odd look on the Professor's face. I briefly wondered if S.H.E.I.L.D or Stryker had even bothered putting any mental blocks in my head, but the look on the Professor's face said otherwise. He could read every thought.

_No emotions! Put that mask on, girl!_ I snarled to myself and finally I couldn't stand it anymore. My mask of indifference slammed down and I pretended not to care. _I'm immovable. I don't care. I'm a weapon, a killer, an animal. I'm a monster and an experiment and that's all I'll ever be._

_That's not true, Luna. _The Professor's voice whispered in my mind. _And you know it. You are a human being and you know it._

_It's not true! _I said in my own head. _I'm not like you or Jean or even Logan or Laura! I _can't _be human, because I'm not. I'm an animal, that's all I'll ever be, that's all I ever was. Nothing __more._

The Professor shook his head and this time spoke aloud. "No, Luna. You're not. You are a person. You _have _to realize that if you are to heal. You _must _accept your humanity if you are to undo the damage Stryker and Fury has done to your mind." He looked at me and seemed to search into my soul. It was a bit unnerving.

I didn't understand how he could sit there and say that. And it made me mad, not being ale to understand things. "_How _can you _say _that?!" I exploded. "I just... attacked Scott and you sit there and treat me like.... like a person! _How?_ _Why?_"

"Because, child, you did not severely hurt or kill him like you were obviously fighting to. You controlled the urge to give in. And _that's _what makes you human. _That's _what makes you a person, instead of an animal."

I didn't fully agree with that, but I could almost see his view. "That still doesn't excuse-" I started.

Hank walked in just then. "Professor, I apologize for interrupting, but Scott has a cracked rib, three bruised ribs, and two broken ribs. He'll be out of training for a while yet." he said.

The Professor sighed. "Alright. Thank you,Hank."

"Hank." I said suddenly as an idea came to my head. "Er, Dr. McCoy... uh...." I floundered for a name.

Hank smiled. "You can call me Hank." he said gently.

"Alright then, Hank. How many broken ribs did you say he has?"

"Two." was the prompt answer.

The gears in my mind whirled at top speed and clicked out a possible solution. "Professor, I may be able to help." I said, turning to look at him with an almost pleading look in my eyes. "Please. I want to make things right. I believe that I can heal him, if you'll give me the chance."

The Professor seemed to think it over. Finally he nodded. "Alright. Hank." he said, already gliding forward.

Hank led us all to the Infirmary where Scott lay. His shirt lay draped across the chair beside the bed and there were several bandages tightly wrapped around his waist and chest. I felt bad briefly before I shook off the feeling and walked briskly into the room. I sat down on the chair after moving his shirt to the foot of the bed and I sat down and studied the bandages for a moment, concentrating. I had to get this right, or I could possibly wind up doing some further damage.

Finally, Scott could take it no longer. "What do you want, Luna?" he asked.

"Hush." I said softly, closing my eyes so I could concentrate. I opened them after a moment and pulled off the gloves I had tugged on earlier. I lay them on the stand beside the bed and gently put my hands on the bandages wound around his chest. I frowned in concentration and softly repeated the words heal, heal, heal. _Come on, come on._ I thought. Nothing happened for a while and I almost gave up when I felt a small surge of power flow through my fingertips. The energy transferred from my body to Scott's injured one, targeting the worst of his ribs in the form of violet sparks that danced across the bandages and disappeared into the skin. I felt a drain in my energy, but decided that I would push it, if only to heal Scott. He might be a.... you-know-what, but he was still a teammate.

I pushed the healing power, magic, sparks, energy, whatever you wanna call it, along until I felt the energy in my body plummet and I slumped forward, resting my head on Scott's arm. I gritted my teeth and pushed the last dregs of energy that I had left, then fainted as my body shut down to protect me.

The last thing I heard was a vague uproar and someone shaking me.

**********************************

The light burned my eyes when I opened them some time later. I sat up slowly, rubbing my aching head, and looked around. The harsh florescent lights glared down at me and I glared back.

"Kid, you coulda killed yerself." a gruff voice said, interrupting my glaring match with the lights. I looked over to see Logan leaning against the doorway.

I shook my head. "Naw." I said. "Logan, is... is he O.K.?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. Ya managed ta heal his broken ribs and two of his bruised ones. It'll only take about two weeks fer him ta heal completely."

I nodded, then grabbed my head in pain. "K." I gasped out, squeezing my eyes shut from the pain.

"Kid? Kid! You alright?"

I would have nodded, but my head felt like it was trying to split itself open. I leaned my head back into the soft pillows and fell asleep, sleeping peacefully for the first in years.

************************************

"She'll be alright, Logan." Hank said gently from my bedside. I twitched my ears involuntarily as I slowly woke up. My eyes cracked open, then opened all the way as I sat up slowly. "What happened?" I asked, massaging my head. It felt better, though not by much.

"Like, Luna! We were so worried!" Kitty squealed when she saw me awake. I clapped my hands to my ears and Kitty blushed. "Sorry." she whispered.

"S'OK." I said. I looked around the room and spotted Kitty, Hank, Logan, Laura, and the Professor. No doubt the others were waiting outside. Since when am I popular, anyways?

"Luna, you saved Scott's life." the Professor said. "He would have died if you had not healed him when you did. Hank says that a second look at the X-rays revealed that a part of one of the broken ribs would have punctured one of his lungs had you not stepped in."

I sat, stunned. I hadn't meant to be a hero or anything. I just wanted to make things right.

"Yeah, Luna. Like, everyone knows what a big hero you are!" Kitty said excitedly. She was practically bouncing with energy. "Scott's resting right now in the other room right there." She pointed to the door on the other side of the room. "He'll be out for about two weeks, according to Hank."

"Actually, Kitty, he should be out by next week. Luna healed all but the bruised rib, which should heal by next week." Hank said, looking at an X-ray he had in he furry hands.

I cocked my head. "Are you sure?" I said. "I didn't think I'd put _that _much into it...."

"Luna, do you even, like, know how long you've been out?" Kitty asked.

"No." I said, learning from experience that moving my head hurt.

"You've been out for two... almost three days! You mumble sometimes when you sleep, did you know that?"

Kurt teleported into the room just then. I wrinkled my nose and tried not to cough from the smell. "Luna!" he said when he saw me. He bounded over to my side and peered into my eyes. "Are you O.K., mein fruend?"

"Yeah, Kurt. I'm fine." I said, managing a small smile. It didn't quite reach my eyes.

Kurt looked doubtful, but didn't say anything. He _bamfed! _out of the room and Kitty slipped out after him, phasing through the wall.

"Well," I said, breaking the awkward silence that followed, "I'm gonna go to the, uh, Danger Room. If you, um... need me." I said, starting to get up.

Hank shook his head and gently pushed me back against the pillows. I froze for an instant before shaking the disturbing memories off. I allowed him to push me gently into the soft pillows. "Luna, you must remain here until I am completely certain that you are in good health." he said and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Can't ya take my word for it?" I asked, itching to be out of the white room. It smelled like... disinfectant.

Hank shook his head. "You should be fine tomorrow." he said from the other side of the room. He turned towards me and I saw a HUGE needle! (Maybe that was an exaggeration.... But not by much... That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

My eyes grew bigger than dinner plates and I bolted out of the bed and toward the door. Did I mention I _hated _needles? I hate 'em with a fiery passion.

Logan grabbed me before I could get too far and he forced me to sit down on the bed. I fought him every step of the way, but he was a lot stronger than me. My shirt was sleeveless and I was cursing myself for wearing it. I kicked and fought and was contemplating on screaming when Hank walked over with the needle in hand. A growl rumbled from my chest involuntarily. A warning growl, low and rough. Hank didn't stop, he'd probably heard worse from Logan, and ventured closer to me. Logan had me by the arms and Laura had my legs, but I still had my teeth. I snapped dangerously close to Hank's face and he was forced to back up a few steps.

"Don't touch me with that!" I warned, baring my teeth with a snarl. Another growl ripped through my chest.

"Luna, please calm yourself. You could cause unnecessary stress to your system." Hank said, trying to step closer with that dang needle.

"Don't touch me with that!" I said again, hoping he'd get a clue before I had to hurt him.

"Luna, this will merely help you sleep." Hank tried to reason with me, but I would have none of it.

"Yeah, for how long?" I bit out. "A few days?" _Long enough to experiment some more? _The thought ran through my mind and I saw the Professor's eyebrows raise a few inches. It looked kinda funny, to be honest.

"Luna, we would never experiment on you or anyone else here. Now, please, tell us why this distresses you so. Logan, Laura, please release her so she can move freely if she so wishes."

The two ferals did what was asked and Hank disposed of the needle. I relaxed slightly and crouched on the bed, flicking my tail slightly.

"I was only hit with a tranquilizer once, and let me tell ya, it hurt." I drifted off as I remembered what had happened. "Stryker said he needed me out so he could do some 'field research' so one of the soldiers there stuck me with one. I was out for about two days and when I woke up, my fur was gone and my skin burned. It reeked of chemicals and nothing I did got rid of the burning. They threatened ta chop my tail off if I didn't participate in their 'field research', so I couldn't do anything. My fur eventually grew back and my healing factor took care of the chemicals, but from then on, I wouldn't let anyone near me with a needle of any sort. Any experiment, any test done was done with me fully aware of what was happenin'." I said in answer to the Professor's question.

The Professor nodded once and steepled his fingers together. He seemed to be deep in thought, so I let him think. I flicked my tail back and forth in irritation. I struggled to remain sane and not go crazy with boredom or too much peace or something. I was used to running, hiding, stealing. Not peace and calm and junk like that. I needed action.

"Luna, I believe that you are recovered enough to walk around for a few minutes, but you must return back here in half an hour. Do you understand?" the Professor said almost sternly, looking at me with a calculating look in his eye.

"Got it." I said, happy to be out of the medical room. I hurried out of the room and wandered around outside for a while, exploring around the woods. I had to stop every so often, I was still a little weak from the healing, but I managed to get back to the Infirmary in time alright.

I walked into the Infirmary with about two seconds to spare. I laid down on the bed, stifling a yawn, and Hank peered at me.

"Get a good-night's sleep tonight, my dear, and you will be able to get up tomorrow." he predicted and I nodded. My head still hurt, but it was slowly ebbing away. I fought the fatigue unsuccessfully for all of two minutes before sleep finally sucked me down.

********************

I slowly sat up, swinging my feet over the edge of the bed. I stealthily prowled into the kitchen, senses on high alert. I jumped at the slightest noise, stiffened at the tiniest movement. I swiveled my ears around like a radar as I quietly swept up the stairs towards the rooftop balcony. I stepped out into the early morning chill Judging by the Sun (or lack thereof) it was about five-thirty or so. I leaned against the railing, breathing in the nippy air with a contented sigh. I smiled and jumped up onto the roof, perched precariously at the edge. I lived for danger, for the thrill of potential risks. It was a 'drug' to me, a habit I couldn't break.

I was content to relax and listen to the peacefulness of the still morning air, the absence of even birds. Nothing but the wind, which was down to about three miles an hour; a light breeze. I sighed once again and for once in my life, I dropped the tough exterior I carried around. I exposed myself, mind and body, heart and soul. Just this once, with nobody but me to witness it.

Me and the breeze.

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Sorry if the ending was a bit abrupt, I wanted it to kinda end on a somewhat peaceful note after all the drama and action that went on. What has our lil Tigress gotten herself into now? Will she ever warm up to Logan and Laura? Will she ever trust the inhabitants of 'Mutant Manor'? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

-12kirby12


	8. Trust

Notes and Reviews:

O.K., I'm sorry, but I just can't keep writin' all these different foreign accents. Y'all know how they talk, y'all can fill in the blanks. Thanks! Southern accents will still be written in, however. Those I can do ;)

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: **When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car. **

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

I had to leave the safety of the roof an hour later. Everyone had woken up and they were freaking out when they couldn't find me (It was a Saturday, I believe). I walked into complete chaos when I snuck back in. Mutants were everywhere; some were crawling on the floor, looking under couches, searching closets, under beds. There were some on the ceiling even.

Everyone eventually noticed that I had returned and I was soon surrounded. All exits and escapes had been blocked off and I felt closed in, threatened, and more than a bit wary. I got into a defensive stance and popped my claws, growling way low in my throat.

"Calm down, Luna." Jubilee said, motioning for the others to back up. I noticed Logan, Laura, and Kitty standing near the front and back exits in case I made a break for it. Piotr, Bobby, and Amara guarded the closest windows.

Jubilee approached me slowly and cautiously, palms up. "It's O.K." she said soothingly and gently. "We won't hurtcha, settle down." I continued to snap my eyes around, looking for exits not guarded. My growl got louder the closer Jubilee got and she stopped for a second, watching me closely.

All the exits were guarded, there was no possible way out short of fighting all of them, and I didn't like my chances at those odds. I glanced around one last time for exits and came to the conclusion that there were none. Fighting was my only option...

"Luna, you can trust us." Jubilee said, inching closer again. She was dangerously closer to me, and yet I didn't attack her...

What was wrong with me?

"Just calm down, Luna." Jubilee continued to speak gently. I looked around one last time before taking the biggest risk ever. I turned around swiftly to head out the back door. I would take my chances with Kitty.

I spun around, already in motion by the time I spun completely. I was off like a rocket, straight for the back door. Maybe if I played this right, Kitty would phase and I'd pass straight through her...

Or maybe Hank would catch me around the waist before I could try it...

Guess which one happened?

I was hauled (screamin', spittin', yowlin', and howlin') off my feet and crushed into a tight bear hug. I squirmed around and tried to rake my claws down his arm, but he had them pinned to my body. I was forced to retract them so I didn't slice my leg open.

"Luna, it will be alright." Hank spoke quietly.

"Calm down." Jubilee said.

I snarled at the both of them and kicked harder, throwing my slight weight to either side in hopes of unbalancing Hank. No such luck. He wouldn't let go, no matter what I did.

I fell limp, hoping that maybe he would loosen his grip. Still, no dice. I was losing patience fast.

"Let. Me. Go." I said angrily.

"I am sorry, Luna. But we cannot risk you running off again." Hank said.

"Runnin-" Realization finally dawned on me. "I didn't run away ya dummy." I hissed. "I just went outside for a couple hours. Excuse me for having a little freedom around here."

"Put her down Hank." Jubilee said with a smile. "She ain't goin' anywhere."

Hank set me on my feet and I stretched my arms, shaking the growing numbness out of them. I glared at Hank, who a least had the decency to look sheepish, and turned around toward the front door. Logan and Laura were still guarding it, but they were slowly walking towards me.

_Don't come any closer... _I warned them in my mind, already getting back into a defensive crouch.

"She's, like, gettin' nervous you guys." Jubilee said, popping her gum.

Everyone stopped where they were. Jamie looked scared, Rahne looked apprehensive.

"Luna." the Professor had arrived, now it was a full party. Darn, I forgot my party hat.

"Luna, we mean you no harm, you know that. Please, calm down so that we may talk to you." the Professor said, already rolling toward me.

Everybody else backed up some more and I could breathe. I relaxed slightly, stiffening when the Professor reached out and gently touched my arm.

"It is alright, child. We are all friends here." he said.

"I'm not a child." I said through clenched teeth. I had never been a child, I could never _be _a child.

The Professor sighed and a memory surfaced in my mind.

_I had been disobedient, I hadn't run the course as fast as was required. The General in charge of overseeing my progress was in a bad mood that day and he got in my face._

_"You are suppose to run it better than that, do you understand me?!" he screamed in my face._

_I snapped to attention. "Sir yes sir!"_

_"Good. Take her to the Room." he said to a couple of younger soldiers._

_"Please, sir, no!" I said desperately._

_"You do not talk back to me!" the General said, giving me a hard slap to the face. I stayed standing and was led away to the white, padded room with no one to talk to and nothing to do. They threw me in, snickered, and slammed and locked the door behind me._

I snapped out of the memory and looked up at the Professor. _Don't throw me in the white room! Please! _I said in my mind.

_It is alright, Luna. We do not do that here. _He 'said' reassuringly.

_Thank you... _I breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked me over, noting my shoe less feet and my clothes. The others, I could hear, were trying to hold in laughter for some reason as they glanced at my clothes. I had picked out a basic ensemble, nothing fancy. Clothes were just protection from outside forces as far as I was concerned, they didn't have to look good. They just had to be functional.

I had on one of the outfits from the trip to the mall that we had taken. I had on a pure black, skin-tight leather outfit, complete with my black leather gloves. I used to wear black combat boots, but it was hard to find a pair in my size, so I just abandoned shoes, and socks, altogether, preferring to go barefooted. My gloves were torn at the fingertips from my claws, and my nails were starting to cut through the thick material. I would have to get a new pair soon.

"What is so funny?" I asked, watching as everyone clearly tried to hold in their laughter.

"Luna... Have you, ya know, _seen _what you're wearing?" Evan asked, doubling over from the effort of holding in his laughter.

"Of course I have." I said indignantly. "Why?"

"Luna, you can't wear all black like that. It's like a law or something. Rogue doesn't even wear that much black." Tabitha said.

"Yeah, and like, what's with your feet? Where are your shoes?" Jubilee asked.

"Shoes? I don't need shoes, they're unnecessary." I said. "Why wear something that just makes it impossible to be stealthy and unnoticeable?"

"Luna, your feet are gonna get blisters and who knows what else." Amara said, trying to persuade me.

I shook my head. I was ready for that one. "No I won't." I said. "I've been goin' barefoot fer years now and ain't nothin' happened." I said, my country accent slipping out.

"What about walkin' across hot surfaces, like the sidewalk? Doesn't it hurt?" Amara asked.

I snorted. "'Course it does." I said. "I just ignore it, like I've been trained ta do."

There were various shocked looks. "So, yer sayin' that if we had ya stand out on the basketball court right now, in this hundred degree plus weather (thanks to Storm, no doubt), then you would just _ignore _it?" Rogue said incredulously.

I took it as a challenge. "I'll show you." I said, abruptly walking over to the front door. I yanked it open and everyone followed me out to the basketball court. Just between you and me, the heat didn't really bother me so much because of the thin, thin layer of tiny hair and fur on the bottoms of my feet.

But I didn't tell anyone that. I stood in the middle of the pavement, the Sun beating down on my head. My tail flicked at flies and gnats and I just stood there, bored out of my mind.

Twenty minutes went by and I studied the house, trying to find weak points without even really noticing I was doing it. My eyes searched through the windows, noticing which were open, which were cracked, and which looked locked up tight. Laura and Logan's fell into the latter category, as well as Rogue's.

I had already figured out four different methods and ways of getting inside without detection by the time Storm spoke up. Despite the fur on the bottom, my feet were burning and they hurt something fierce. I ignored all this though, like I'd been taught and trained to do. _The price of memories..._

"Luna, I believe you have proved your point." Storm said, touching me gently on the shoulder. I resisted the impulse to flinch away, and instead turned towards her. "Let us go back inside." she said, leading the way back into the coolness of air conditioning.

Everyone followed and we stood in the spacious 'foyer'. They were all staring at me and I shifted uncomfortably. Did I do something wrong? I was just proving that I was right... Wasn't that what I was suppose to do? Maybe not... Maybe I overdid it....

"Luna, can we see the bottom of your feet?" Jamie asked timidly, barely meeting my gaze.

I shrugged and sat down, putting my feet in the air so everyone could see.

The hairs and fur were so fine and light that they were invisible, and the skin underneath was an angry red. There were at least second degree burns, maybe even third degree. There was a light black color from the tar of the basketball court that I easily rubbed away and the burns slowly started to heal over. They itched and stung as they healed and I resisted the urge to rub them. Ten minutes later and they were completely healed, as if nothing had happened.

"Ya see?" I said simply, jumping to my feet as soon as they were healed. "Not a problem."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Still, though. You need shoes if you're gonna go to school. She is goin' to school, right Professor?" she asked, turning to him.

The Professor nodded. "Of course, Kitty. According to her placement test, she should be approximately in fifth grade, a grade above normal nine-year-olds."

School? What was school? I decided to ask and it was Jamie who answered.

"School is where you go to learn stuff." he said, looking at me as if I had two heads.

"Like what?"

"Like math, history, English, that sort of stuff."

"Oh... Well, what about combat training? Do they teach you that in 'school'?" I asked, my eyes lighting up as I thought about the prospect of learning the advanced skills HYDRA was supposedly supposed to teach me.

Rahne shook her head. "No, Luna. That's what _we_ do. We teach you to control your powers, school teaches you practical, 'normal' stuff. Though I wouldn't openly announce that you're a mutant, that tends to create hostility."

I nodded, I had seen that first-hand. But then again there was a problem with the... fur.

"There's only one problem." I said, fingering my ears and fur. "I would think that this screams 'MUTANT' wouldn't you?"

"The Professor has a special watch that camouflages you. You look like a normal human." Kurt said, holding his watch up.

I looked at it closely. _This could be a setup... No! These people want to help... _I fought with my training, trying to see past my paranoia of a trap. I nodded carefully, keeping my face neutral and expressionless. I took a deep breath and turned toward the stairs. I climbed them slowly, headed to my room. I needed some space, some privacy.

I picked up my yo-yo and tried to do that one trick where the yo-yo comes back to you, but it just got tangled up. I hissed in frustration and chucked it out the open balcony window. I faintly heard it hit the ground and then picked up the knife that I had stashed.

I looked at the super-sharp blade that I had sharpened myself and then brought it down with a slash across my arm. Blood flowed out of the wound, then slowly slowed and finally quit. The scar faded and soon there was nothing to show but the stain on the carpet. I looked sadly at the knife before returning it to it pocket. The broken iPod was tossed out the window with the yo-yo, and soon all I had was my trenchcoat, hat, money, and knife. I had gotten rid of the cell phone when I found that the owner had canceled it.

There was nothing left to do, so I headed up to the roof. But first, I wrote a simple note and put it on my door: _Gone to roof. Happy now?_

_ -Luna_

I smirked as I stuck it to the door and walked up the stairs to the balcony, where I again jumped up onto the roof. I sat on the edge and stared into the forest, lost in thoughts of confusion. Half of me, more than half really, wanted to just up and run off. But that less than half, the more sane part of me, told me I should stay. I fought instincts and logic, and finally logic won out. I would stay, if only for another month. If I still didn't like it, I would leave. Simple as that.

_But Logan's here. He's yer family now. _The logical, sane part of my mind said.

I sighed and shook my head, wondering what I was gonna do about that. _Nothing._ I decided.

I drew my knees up to my chest and the emotions that I had bottled up, that I had refused to let surface, finally broke through. I sobbed into my knees, sobbed for my mother, my past, for... me. I sobbed for the people here, how they were trying to accept me, and I couldn't let them. _I won't hurt anyone again! _I told myself firmly, and I cried for that too.

No friends. No family. And no feelings. I would be the perfect soldier, one incapable of feelings or cares. I would treat school like another mission, something to complete as efficient as possible. I wouldn't hurt anyone else. I'd finish a month of school, and then 'd leave. At night. Just me, on my own. It was better for everyone that way.

"No one will miss me." I said aloud, unaware that I had an audience.

"Sure they will." a deep, gravelly voice behind me said and I about jumped out of my fur. I mentally beat myself up for not sensing Logan's presence.

_You stupid girl! No wonder Stryker didn't want you, you little idiot! You're useless, worthless! Do better, don't just try. Succeed! It's what you were trained for so do it!_

I shook with suppressed fury at myself and turned to face Logan, all traces of tears and emotion wiped off my face. "Was there somethin' you wanted?" I asked in a neutral tone.

"Just wanted ta talk." Logan said, getting comfortable.

I suddenly realized that we were the only ones on the roof, the only ones around. I was instantly wary and alert. "About?" I asked, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

"Look, kid, I'm not the best at the whole 'touchy-feely' bit, but if you ever need ta talk, ya know where ta find me." he said. He looked genuinely sincere, like he truly wanted to help.

"I..." I started to say, then thought against it. "Never mind..." I said, drawing my knees around me again as I stared off into the forest.

"Luna, were ya thinkin' of runnin' off?" Logan asked quietly.

I nodded, he'd know if I was lying anyways. "Yeah." I said quietly. "I just don't fit in here, Logan. I'll hurt someone else, I just know I will. Just look at what happened with Scott. I wanted to kill him for yellin' at me and gettin' in my face. I almost did... I can't let that happen ta anyone else." I said, bottling up the tears again. I stiffened when I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright." he murmured softly to me. "I won't hurt ya. Trust me. You've been through so much already. I wouldn't hurt ya fer nothin', ya got that? Now come here." He gently scooped me up and set me on his lap. I looked up into his baby blue eyes and saw my golden, feral ones reflected in them. I hated myself at that moment. I wanted me to die. I looked like a freak, a monster. I wanted me to go away. _Wimp. _I sneered at myself.

I could feel coming into my eyes, but held them back. I bridged them all up, and they only brimmed at the surface. Logan saw them though and he sighed.

"Let 'em out, darlin'." he said. "Ain't no one here but you 'n' me. It's alright."

"I can't show weakness!" I said, a little harsher than I had intended. "They'll...." I swallowed hard. "They'll punish me." I bowed my head and swallowed again, choking down the sobs.

Logan lifted my chin and looked me in the eyes. "They won't get ya here, understand? Yer safe."

I nodded and finally it was all just too much. I broke down in Logan's arms and buried my face into his chest. I sobbed and cried and shook, while he patted and rubbed my back awkwardly, but comfortingly.

I stopped after about five minutes or so. I looked up, embarrassed by what I'd done. I lowered my head and my eyes. "I'm sorry." I said, wonderingly briefly if he would punish me for my weakness.

"Don't be." he said, lifting my chin again. "It's alright." he said. "No one will hurt you here."

I nodded and hugged him tight around the neck, shaking slightly still.

"It'll be alright." he murmured consolingly.

I stood up and dried the tears from my face. "Logan... Do you think I'll ever fit in here? I mean, look at me! I look...." I didn't finish the sentence. _Wimp! Come on, wimp! Weapons don't cry, they don't break down in some stranger's arms! _I shook my head hard and pounded my fists against it, probably looking all sorts of crazy.

"Darlin'? Luna, what's wrong?" Logan grabbed my hands and stopped me from beating myself in the head some more.

"The military side of me is tryin' ta gain control." I explained, still shaking my head furiously. "It's tryin' ta take over and if it does, I don't know what'll happen..." _Liar! You know exactly __what will happen! I'll kill everyone here, that's what will happen!_

_No! I'm not gonna let that happen again!_

_Too late. _The other half of me sneered.

It... I... was right. The last foster family I had been to had been killed because of my other side. Because I had been unaware of it, innocent people had lost their lives. It was instinctive, cruel, and efficient.

I hated that side of me.

"We'll help ya, Luna. You know we will. Now come on. Everyone's wonderin' what you've been doin' up here fer the past hour."

"Hour? I've been up here fer an hour already?"

"Yup."

I got up and stretched, and did a backbend to stretch my muscles, pulling out of it right at the edge of the roof. I did a full backflip off it, landing on my feet, unhurt.

Logan got down and we walked into the mansion. No one was around, they were probably 'studying' or whatever.

I skipped lunch, headed to the 'backyard' (which looked like it was at least 40 acres not including the woods, I kid you not), and started with my meditation for the day. I slowly sank into a sitting position, closing my eyes and slowing my breathing considerably, and cleared my mind of distracting thoughts. Breathe in, breathe out.... Nice and slow. Steady and even.

I stayed silent for about thirty minutes, respecting the peace that meditation helps me achieve. After half an hour, however, I stood up and stretched, a sigh escaping my lips. It was peaceful, just listening to the still of things, silently reflecting on things.

All good things must end, however, and meditation was one of them. I stretched and walked into the middle of the yard...

...where I was promptly ambushed by Kurt via teleportation.

"Sorry Luna." he apologized, narrowly avoiding teleporting on top of my head. He grinned suddenly and I had a horrible feeling in my stomach. "Come on." he said, grabbing my hand suddenly and teleporting away in a cloud of sulfuric smoke.

We were teleported into my room. Kurt let me go, pointed to my bed, told me to put the 'suit' on, and teleported out.

I hesitantly pulled on the strange garment. It was a purple, single-piece covering. It had some weird shimmering stuff on it that sparkled and twinkled when I walked. I instantly found the sparkles annoying, but decided that I would ignore them.

For now.

I shimmied into the strange garment, playing along for now. I needed to get on their good side if I was to be accepted...

_You don't need acceptance! _I snapped at myself.

I quickly stomped down on the voice that spoke, clamping it inside a box in my mind. I was going to enjoy myself, dangit!

I noticed that my arms, legs, tail, and ears were all showing, so I spun my trenchcoat on, grabbed my hat, and stepped out into the hallway. Kurt was waiting and as soon as he saw me he grabbed my arm and we were teleported outside again.

"Luna! Glad you could make it!" Kitty said, waving us over to some strange contraption filled with water. There was some sort odd rope across the middle and several students were swimming through it.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the big water-thing.

"That? That's a swimming pool." Kitty said, a sly grin on her face. "Ya wanna know what ya do in a swimming pool?"

I nodded.

"SWIM!" Kitty shouted, and pushed me in, laughing.

The water closed in around my head and I couldn't breathe. I clawed at the water, desperately trying to break surface to get some air, but I couldn't. My struggling did nothing but drag me further down, my claws did nothing to help. My senses dulled as water rushed into my nose, ears, and mouth. I choked on water, feeling it rush into my body. I couldn't hear anything save for my own frantic heartbeat and my desperate flailing. I sank to the bottom of the pool and black spots danced in front of my eyes. I was slowly losing conscience, and my lungs ached for air. I had tired myself out fighting the water, my pulse was beating way too fast. I struggled to see a way out, but all I could see was the enormous expanse of blue water.

I had only been under for less than a minute, but it felt like hours to me. I couldn't breathe and I panicked. I could feel my lungs aching for air and soon I would be sucking in water. I held out for about fifteen more seconds and then I couldn't take it anymore...

*****************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Why isn't she surfacing?" Kitty asked, worry in her tone. She peered into the water, straining to see past the first couple feet.

"Does anyone even know if she can swim?" Kurt asked.

Nobody answered. Everyone had horrified expressions on their faces and soon mass hysteria erupted. People started shouting and running around. "HELP!" "SOMEBODY!" "LUNA'S UNDER!"

The sounds of twin motorcycles were heard and Kurt teleported straight over to Logan. "Hurry! It's Luna!" he said breathlessly, grabbing the pair of them and went straight back to the pool. "What's-" Logan started to say until he saw Luna lying at the bottom of the pool, motionless and still.

"We can't carry her all the way-" Kitty started to say, but Logan had already kicked off the heavy boots and shed his shirt. He leaped straight into the water and expertly swam straight to the bottom. He grabbed Luna by the scruff of the neck and hauled her straight up to the surface. He laid her carefully out on the side and Laura listened for a heartbeat.

"She's breathin', but it's not very strong." she reported.

**************************************

**Luna's POV**

I distantly felt something grab me by the fur and I was headed upwards. _Am I dyin'? _I wondered. _I don't remember dyin' before..._

My head finally broke surface, but I was slipping further and further over the surface. I hovered barely between full unconsciousness and that thin not-quite-conscious line. Everything was fuzzy and there was a general dull roar in the air. My eyes were shut, and I couldn't open them. My body started to shut down and I pushed one single word through my lips.

"Trust."

**************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"She's alive." Kitty said with relief. Only Logan and Laura managed to catch the word that fell from her lips, and even they barely caught it.

"Yeah, and I think she's comin' around now." Laura said, pressing her ear to Luna's chest. The heartbeat was weak, barely even there, but getting stronger every second. Her breathing was still shallow, but that was probably due to the amount of water in her lungs. Logan worked on getting the water from her lungs, and everyone else just sorta watched helplessly.

After a few tense moments, Luna started to cough weakly and struggle to sit up. She seemed to still be dizzy and disoriented, but still she tried to sit up.

Laura held her down gently, explaining in small words that 'Luna could not get up yet because Luna was not feeling very well and did Luna understand?'

Luna nodded slowly and yawned widely, showing her fangs. They glinted in the warm afternoon sun, sharp and deadly.

_That is the young child that we should see more often. _Storm remarked to herself, watching the small girl curl up into Logan's chest, her feet tucked into Laura. She looked so sweet and innocent, so pure.

Kitty smiled as she watched how tenderly Logan put his own flannel button-up shirt around Luna's shoulders. Laura gently slid a pair of oversized flannel pajama pants on her legs so they wouldn't get too cold. _They're all so gruff, but underneath they really care about those they love. _She thought, smiling still as she watched Luna stir slightly and mumble something.

*****************************************

**Luna's POV**

I sat up as I came to and no one stopped me. There was a shirt on my shoulders and a pair of extra-large pants keeping my legs warm. Kitty's lips moved and I looked at her in confusion.

"I can't hear-" I said, but something was wrong. I couldn't hear myself...

I spoke up, unaware that I was actually shouting. "I can't hear you! Speak up!"

Kitty motioned for me to be quiet and I frowned. She mimicked tilting her head to one side, so I followed along and tipped my head to one side. A big splash of water fell out in a small stream and I could hear out of that side again. I repeated the procedure with my other ear and got the same results.

I could hear again and motioned for Kitty to repeat what she had said.

"I'm, like, soooo super sorry Luna! I didn't know you couldn't swim, I'm sorry.... I almost killed you..." She whispered the last words and her eyes widened. The color drained from her face as she considered these words. "Oh my God, I almost killed you!" she said, horrified.

I could see a couple tears roll down her cheeks and I bit my lip. _Comfort her stupid!_

I got up and, ignoring my wet fur for the moment, I hesitantly put my arms around Kitty. I was new to the whole 'comforting' thing, but I had watched other people do it. Kitty looked at me in shock and I gave her a tight-lipped smile, not wanting to scare her with my teeth.

"It was an accident." I told her firmly, willing her to believe me. "It'll be alright, ya hear me?"

Kitty nodded and hugged me tightly around the middle, much to my discomfort. I kind of patted her back and said something comforting and she let go, drying her eyes with the back of her hand.

"So..." She faltered and then gave me a shy smile. "Friends?" She held out her hand and I stopped for a minute and thought hard.

Finally, I smiled. "Yeah." I said, grasping her hand with my own. "Friends."

***************************************

"You can't be serious." I said for the third time.

It was twenty minutes since my near-drowning and Logan _insisted _that I learn to swim.

Sheyeah right!

At first I refused and threatened to throw a temper-tantrum (I used to watch T.V. as reminders of what I shouldn't do... If I knew what was good for me...).

This was shot to pieces when Logan told me that if I did throw a temper-tantrum then he would just get Laura to teach me.

I quickly changed my mind when he said that.

"Kick your feet a bit in the water ta help ya stay afloat." Logan instructed, supporting me in the water.

I did as he said and felt him move his hands from under me until I was floating on my own. I was still a bit afraid of the water, don't get me wrong, but I had learned to get over my fears pretty quick with S.H.E.I.L.D.

"Now move your arms like so." he said, demonstrating and I copied his motions. I was soon gliding through the water as if I had been swimming my whole life. It was actually kind of... fun.

I got out of the water thirty minutes later and learned that Jubilee had already made plans to have another 'pool party' next Saturday.

Good thing I could swim now.

I hoisted myself onto the side of the deck and stood up. I literally shook the water from my fur, sending sprays of water everywhere.

But mainly at Logan.

I grinned when he scowled at me and I innocently shook myself a second time.

Logan about choked on his own tongue with laughter when the result of my shakings turned me into a huge poofball of fur. It just fluffed out everywhere, and I mean it _fluffed _out.

It took me a while to finally get it to lie flat, but I did manage it and when I did, I tackled Logan back into the pool.

The only problem was he caught me before I could dart away and dragged me _back _in with him.

We both came up laughing and he helped me back into the house. He left me at my room and went next to his own. I took a five-minute shower and dressed in a pair of blue-jean shorts and black T-shirt, bare feet again.

Everyone was all smiles, or grimaces, either way really, when I walked down the stairs for dinner later that night. I asked what everyone was all happy-sappy about and they just grinned.

Then they told me the news. Logan about murdered someone right there, if that's any indication.

"Luna, your father is here to see you."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dun dun dun!!

Does anyone ever read these things anyways? Is that even correct English? Lol

Things are really heating up! Will the others ever trust Luna completely? Will Luna continue to fight with herself and her past? Will she ever accept anyone as her friend? And why is Sabretooth even there? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

P.S. Let me know in a review/PM whether y'all want longer chapters or more frequent updates. Or if y'all are even readin' the story... lol

Special thanks go to Courtney Summers for reviewin' the last chapter!

I'm not gonna post the next chapter until I get at least five reviews, so take a few seconds of your time, people! It only takes thirty seconds, even if it's just a 'love the story keep it up'. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R...

-12kirby12


	9. Kid?

Notes and Reviews:

Melody Night: Thanks for the review! Glad you like it!

Courtney Summers: Hold on just a bit longer! Lol, Here's the next chapter.

AnimeFreak218: Yeah... I didn't write the whole school thing the way I imagined it. And as for the bathing suit bit, remember that she's been at S.H.E.I.L.D and Stryker's thing for a good portion of her life. She'd only been with the Brotherhood for maybe a year or so. Glad you like it, I'll post the next chapter ASAP!

B3horses: Hey yourself! I'll try to mix it up -sigh- lol

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: **"****Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes."**

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"So it's true then." Creed growled, looking his daughter up and down with a critical eye. "Ya somehow managed ta survive."

"Yeah." I retorted, getting over my shock at seeing the the supposed father of mine in the front yard. "No thanks ta you."

Creed snorted. "That the best ya got? Not so sure yer mine now." He smirked.

I hissed and unleashed my ten claws. "Any doubts now, Pops?" I spat.

Sabretooth nodded and looked at the claws, not me, in approval. "So Stryker really went through with it. Heh, I almost thought the coward would bail on me. Not that he'd have escaped alive if he had."

"You talk a lot of shit." I said, anger fueling my bad language. "But I guess actions speak louder than words. So inside yer prolly just some weakling that couldn't kill a fly if he was beggin' ya." I smirked and raised an eyebrow at the now enraged mutant in front of me.

"WHAT?!" he roared, leaping the gap between us. I dodged around him, continuing my banter.

"Ya heard me, ya cheap son of a gun! Ya couldn't kill me if I had two broken legs. I bet Payton does all yer mercenary work for ya!"

Creed let out another roar as he chased after me. I nimbly leaped behind him and ripped into his shoulder.

"That's for my mother!" I shouted, leaping out of the way of his deadly claws.

"Sarabeth? Yer fightin' fer that weakling? She deserved ta die after hidin' my child from me!"

"She was protectin' me from you!" I roared, fury coursing through my veins as I leaped again at the man in front of me. I was rewarded with a hard punch to the face and I hissed in pain, clutching my bleeding nose.

I noticed how alone we were outside. Everyone had gone inside to 'give us some privacy' and they probably wouldn't hear anything for a couple more minutes. I slashed at Creed's face, leaving four long scratches across half his face. Creed roared again and kicked me hard in the stomach, then drew his claws across my back.

I screamed at the sudden pain and struggled away. _He's too strong! _I realized. _He's got a __lot more experience than me, but I ain't given up! _The other half of me, the savage military side, snarled in response.

My animal side snarled in agreement and I fought harder. I got nailed in the face once more and knocked to the ground. Creed looked down at me and sneered "Some daughter of me you are."

I felt something in my chest tear when he turned and walked away. _I'm left... again.... _I didn't stop the single tear that fell from my eye as I watched him walk away.

I struggled to my feet as I heard everyone run out to see what all the yelling was about. I shoved past everyone and ran straight for the solitude of the woods, dropping down on all fours to gain speed. _He'll never want you. Just accept it._

I scaled up a tree and balled my hands into fists as I screamed and struck the tree again and again and again. My hand was cut several times by the rough bark, but it soon healed up and I dropped my hand to my face. What was a few more cuts, they're nothing to the ones on my heart...

And emotional scars don't heal as fast as physical ones...

I felt a few more tears escape and wiped them away. _This is what happens when you get close ta someone. They walk away, abandon ya. Do you want to feel this hurt again, this pain?_ I asked myself.

_No._

_Good._

I squared my shoulders and stalked back inside the house. I didn't speak to anybody, didn't look at anyone. If someone said anything to me I would just growl and go on past them. I made it my room and looked around. I hadn't even gotten around to decorating in the month or so that I'd been there, but I didn't care. I grabbed my trenchcoat, hat, and sunglasses and slammed the door to my ex-room. Logan saw me striding towards the front door and he stopped me.

"Where ya goin'?" he demanded.

I snarled and ripped my arm free. "I ain't stayin' here just ta be hurt again." I said savagely, my voice rough and wild. "I'm outta here."

"I told ya, no one here's gonna hurt ya like that." Logan said, staring me in the eyes. He gently removed my sunglasses and placed them on my head.

"Tell that ta my dad, Logan! You saw what happened, you saw how he left! He'll never want me and neither do you!" I shouted, wrenching my arm free of his grasp.

"How the hell can ya say that?" Logan growled, getting in my face. He ignored my growl and continued. "We all took you in!"

I laughed humorlessly and smirked at him. He looked livid and I played off his anger. "Ya wanna fight me Wolverine? Fine! At least I'll die knowin' that I was right!" I yelled at him.

"I ain't gonna fight ya kid." he said, backing off as he realized what I was trying to do. I hissed and leaped at him.

"Then I will!" I screamed, tackling him. He flipped me over his shoulder and gently pinned me to the ground.

"Settle down kid. Yer lettin' yer animal side take control. Ya gotta fight this, Luna. I know ya can, now fight it! Come on, kid!"

I hissed again and struggled to get up, to no avail. I thrashed from side to side and Logan gently covered my eyes with one hand. "Fight it." he whispered.

I closed my eyes and struggled to gain control of my wild side. Something in Logan's tone caused me to think, and I fought the beast in my mind. _You won't hurt him! _I bellowed at it and it snarled at me. I wrestled with it and managed to shove it down. A drop of sweat ran down my brow from the effort of fighting my own mind and I finally subdued the beast.

"Logan." I whispered, smiling slightly. He let me up and smiled.

"Good job, darlin'." he said.

I concentrated on keeping my mind completely clear of other influences. "W-Wolvie?" I said hesitantly, my mind reverting into a normal nine-year-old. For the time being at least.

"Ya did good, kid." Logan said, helping me up. I swayed a little, but stayed on my feet.

My mind was still set on leaving, not only for myself, but for the others. I told Logan that I had something to say, but I only wanted to say it once and I wanted everyone to hear.

Logan nodded and soon everyone was gathered around in the Danger Room for some odd reason that I didn't want to know of.

As soon as I had their undivided attention, I made my announcement.

"I'm leavin' the school. Today."

Statues. Every one of 'em.

And then...

"You can't!" Kitty cried and then everyone was yelling over everyone else. I waited it out and eventually it got quiet again.

"Why can't I?" I questioned Kitty.

"Because, like... You- Um.... Oh, Luna, you just _can't_!" Kitty said and I thought I saw tears in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked again. "I'll give ya three reasons I gotta leave if you'll give me three ta stay."

I could see everyone think hard and then Jubilee piped up.

"Give us your reasons first, then we'll give you ours."

I nodded, it sounded fair. "Alright. Number one" I thought carefully on how to phrase it. "S.H.I.E.L.D. will come after me, and I'm not about ta lead them straight ta y'all. Number two: Sabretooth could potentially come after me and I don't want ta risk anyone here. And number three, and the main reason for me leavin': I'll go feral, crazy, whatever ya wanna call it, and hurt and/or kill someone here. Don't deny it either. I've already hurt Scott and I'm not about ta risk anyone else here." I said. "Now, give me three ta stay. Don't mean I will though." I warned them.

Everyone thought for a bit, then Rahne spoke up.

"We can protect you if you stay here."

"You'll have a place ta stay and food to eat."

"And we will help you get your past and ability under control."

I figured as much, but it was nice that someone was willing to fight for me.

"You're sure? Ya don't mind-" I started to say, but I was cut off by Kurt.

"'Course not, mein fruend. You're part of this family now!" he said.

I smiled slightly. "Great." I muttered, blowing a bit of fur out of my eyes.

I turned to leave, ready to leave until I heard a small voice crying out.

"HELP!!"

My ears pricked up, I don't think anyone else (save for Logan and Laura obviously) heard it. I bolted out of the room, tore around the corner, even shifted unintentionally into a lightning-yellow tigress in my haste. I rushed past several students who pressed themselves against the walls, never slowing until I reached the foyer. There was a tiny, sniffling noise behind the giant, oak doors and I sniffed cautiously. I was prepared for a surprise attack, but I didn't scent anyone that I recognized.

Logan opened the door and I dashed out into the... rain? Why was it raining? It was fine twenty minutes ago...

Storm.... I growled under my breath and dashed through the rain anyways. I could barely make out a small, huddled shape on the ground by the front gate. I looked and saw the most adorable little girl you could imagine.

She had long, blond hair that fell in tiny ringlets down to the middle of her back. She was huddled and shivering and her expression was absolutely terrified. I noticed her bright, icy-blue eyes peer out at me and she shivered in the cold. I picked her up in my mouth by the back of her shirt and ran inside with her. I pounded up the long driveway, dodging puddles so as not to get the girl wetter than she already was. She shivered in my teeth and I surged on even faster. For some reason I couldn't fathom, I just _had _to save this little girl...

I set her down gently, still a rather large tigress, in the foyer, dripping on the marbled floor. The girl tried to sit up, scared probably, but I gave a small growl and she looked up at me with frightened eyes.

Then she did something so incredibly brave... She reached up and rubbed my muzzle. The fear disappeared from her eyes to be replaced by adoration.

Hank immediately declared that she be taken to the Medical Wing and tried to pick the little girl up. My hackles rose and I stepped in front of her and bared my teeth. He wasn't going to touch this poor child!

"Luna, she must have medical attention." Hank tried to reason with me.

I swung my head around to face the girl and she leaned her head against my foreleg. "Kitty saved me..." she murmured and I finally consented.

I picked her up carefully in my teeth and carried her to the Medical Wing, not allowing anyone to get too close to her. I set her down carefully on the bed and backed up to let Hank examine her. She looked close to collapsing and I faintly saw her shoulder blades sticking up from her shirt. She was half-starved and needed to eat something to eat. I couldn't change back, so I couldn't help her...

Hank turned back towards us with a wickedly long (O.K. Not so much...) needle and proceeded to try to inject the girl with it. I growled fiercely and dared him to come closer. I stood protectively in front of the girl.

"Luna, this will merely help her to sleep. I promise, no harm will come to her." Hank said. "But we must hurry, while it's not too late!"

I allowed him closer and turned my head away as he injected the girl. Her eyelids drooped and she fell asleep, sucking on her thumb. Her tiny hand instinctively found my head and she laid it on top, then fell asleep.

I turned to Hank with a look that clearly said 'hurt her and die.'

Hank just smiled and whispered that she would be fine.

I nodded and managed to look sheepish and indicated with a flicking tail that I couldn't change back. The Professor smiled and said in a quiet voice "Just relax. I will help you." I relaxed and opened my mind to him and soon felt the familiar feeling of weightlessness, then the warm, sharp pain as my cells reformed themselves.

As soon as I was Luna again, I turned to Hank. "What's wrong with her?" I whispered, gesturing to the girl.

"She seems to have a high fever and shows symptoms of a mild flu. She also is slightly malnourished and may have mild head trauma." he rattled off a list and I nodded.

"Luna, I would prefer it if you do not attempt to heal her. It is unclear what your limits are and we cannot have you in the Infirmary for so long again." the Professor said.

"I'll just help her fever, I swear." I said, looking at him with eager eyes. "Come on, Professor, I can do it! Please?"

"Oh, all right. But take it easy and should you feel weak or drained, stop immediately."

I nodded to show that I understood and stared intently at the girl. Her chest rose in a steady rhythm, though her breathing was shallow. She was still soaking wet, but the blankets should help.

I placed my hands lightly on her head and chanted the words that I used to get my energy flowing. "Heal heal heal" The sparks danced to the girl's head and immediately targeted the sickness. There was slight drop in my energy levels and I continued for only a moment longer before stopping. My knees buckled and I had to grab onto the bed to keep from collapsing.

I sat down gently on the bed and looked at the little girl occupying it. She definitely looked better and I could hear that her heartbeat was stronger. She should be fine in the next couple of days.

******************************

I visited the girl over the next three days with nothing changed. She was still out of it and Hank finally had to resort to feeding her though an IV.

Finally, a full week after she was found, she woke up. She looked around with her blue eyes and they found mine. "Hey." I whispered, almost afraid that she would scream at the sight of me.

She didn't. She just stared at me and slowly a smile crept to her face. "Kitty." she said, holding her arms out to me.

I laughed. "No, little lucky one. I'm Luna."

I picked her up in an unusual show of affection for me and we made our way to the living room, where everyone was watching some dumb movie about a rabbit and a badger. Don't ask.

I cleared my throat and everyone turned and smiled when they saw the little girl in my arms. I turned my head to look at her. Her shoulder blades were still showing and I could feel some of her ribs. I decided that I'd feed her as soon as introductions were done.

"Alright, kid. This is Scott, Jean, Bobby, Jubilee, Kurt, Rogue, John, Piotr, Jamie, Sam, Evan, Ray's around here somewhere... Ah! There he is! Let's see... Roberto, Warren, Amara, Rahne..." I paused and raised an eyebrow at Storm to ask if she wanted to be called Storm or Ororo.

"Storm." she said with a smile.

"Alright then. Storm, Remy's the guy with the French accent."

"Remy's accent is Cajun, non?" Remy said and I looked at him with a smirk.

"Professor Xavier's around here somewhere. Logan's there, beside him's Laura, and _that _is Kitty. The other blue guy from earlier is Hank and I think that's everyone."

The girl smiled shyly at everyone and buried her face in my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and spoke to her. "Hey now, none'a that. What's yer name, kid?"

"Celeby." she said, looking at my face in some sort of fascination.

"Celeby? Sounds like a pixie." I snapped my fingers. "Pixie! That's what I'm gonna call ya!"

The girl smiled. "K." she said. "I'm five." she added, holding up the amount of fingers.

"Well, Pixie, we gotta get ya somethin' ta eat. Whatcha want?"

"Nothing." the girl said with a tiny frown.

"Kid, yer all bones. Look at this." I said, pointing to her shoulder.

She gave another tiny frown that was actually pretty creepy. "I don't want nothing." she said again, trying to squirm out of my arms. I gripped on tighter, however, and carried her to the kitchen.

"Yer gonna eat somethin' Pixie. Ya hear me?" I said, digging around in the pantries for something for her to eat.

She began to kick me and beat my shoulder with her tiny fists. "I don't wanna!" she screamed in my ear.

"Listen, kid." I snarled, my patience thinning out. "Either you eat something right now, or I'll tell Hank ta stick a needle this long," I indicated with my hands a really long needle "in ya and have _it _feed ya. Which do you prefer?"

The girl pouted and then smiled at me. I could see rows of tiny little teeth and she finally said "Fine. I'll have a apple."

"Good." I growled and found the kid an apple. I placed her in a chair and set the apple in front of her.

"Eat." I said, planting my hand on her shoulder to prevent her from getting up.

She picked up the apple and munched on it slowly, eyes on the table. She appeared to be concentrating on something, so I didn't speak.

She finally finished and I threw the apple core away. When I turned back, the girl was gone.

"Kid? Hey, Pixie! Where'd ya go?" I said, trying to sniff her out. _What the-? _Her scent was right on the chair she had been sitting in. I cautiously felt the air and smacked into something solid. There was a small 'OW!' and Celeby shimmered into view.

"You little sneak!" I said. "Ya turn invisible!"

"It's hard." she said in her little voice. "I gotta concentrate real hard."

"Well, we'll help with that, I guess..." I said, biting my lip. _Yer gettin' soft!_

The girl broke into a huge smile and jumped into my arms. She hugged me around the neck in a choking grasp and I smiled despite myself.

"Come on, kid." I said, carrying her back to the living room. Everyone was still there, waiting to meet the little girl.

The girl smiled and didn't seem to be afraid of anyone there. "Lemme hold her!" Kitty squealed, lifting the girl from my arms.

The girl's face crumpled and she let out a high-pitched wail. "I want tigey!"

Kitty hurriedly handed her back to me and Celeby smiled to be back in my arms again. She snuggled into my chest and I rolled my eyes. "Kid, ya got some lungs on ya." I commented dryly.

"How did you get here, sugarpea?" Jean asked in her little kid voice, bending down to look at the girl.

"I don' know. I was just there." the girl said, sticking her thumb in her mouth.

I thumped her in the back of the head. She whipped her head around and stared at me with a shocked expression on her face. "Don't suck yer thumb." I said with a scowl.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"'Cause I said." I told her with a smirk and she giggled.

"K." she said softly, laying her head down on my chest.

I grimaced and motioned for Jean to take her before she drooled on me or something, but everyone could see that I liked the kid. My nickname proved it.

Jean lifted the girl from my arms and held her, cradling her to her chest and cooing softly. Clearly she'd babysat before.

I rolled my eyes at the sight and whispered "The girl's definitely a mutant. She can turn invisible, but only if she concentrates real hard."

The girl apparently heard me because she picked her sleepy head up and screamed when she saw that she wasn't in my arms. I groaned and grabbed her quickly from Jean. The girl quieted immediately and smiled as if she thought it was funny.

I scowled at her and asked, "Alright, so how'd ya get yer powers so early anyways?"

A single tear trailed down the girl's cheek and she said, "My daddy had cancer, so they put him in some weird room. They sprayed him with something, so I went in to see him. The stuff smelled yucky." She made a face and waved a hand in front of her face. "The hopsickle people sawed that I was in the room, so they shut off the yucky stuff and tried to get me out. They couldn't find me though. They looked and looked and finally they heard me cryin' so they managed ta get me out. I turned invisiblel the next day. My mommy was scared, so she sent me to these strange people called the M.R.D. I ran away and somehow wound up here." She finished and by that time tears were streaming down her face.

She allowed Jean to take her and comfort her while I stood there angrily. "Who's yer mama?" I asked the kid sharply.

"My mama's name is Paige Bertha Jameson. We call her PB&J sometimes." she said with a sudden giggle.

I nodded and marched out of the room, followed by... pretty much everyone.

"Where ya goin'?" Rouge asked and I answered through my teeth.

"I'm goin' ta find out where that kid lives and give her mama a piece'a my mind."

"Luna, you can't do that." Kurt said.

I whirled on him. "And why not?"

"Because, for one, you can't drive any of the vehicles here anyways. For two, you have to get clearance from the Professor. And for three, the girl wants you to hold her."

I growled under my breath and turned to see the girl wobbling towards me, trying to run faster. "No leave me, tigey!" she screamed and ran to my arms.

"Kid, ya gotta stop that." I said, shaking my head to clear the ringing.

She giggled and hugged my neck. "I love my tigey." she said, then kissed my cheek.

I froze and my eyes widened. I had an inner battle in my head. _She loves you, embrace that!_

_Weakness.... _the military side hissed.

My animal side growled and mixed with my military side, combining in order to overpower the innocent, pure nine-year-old side of my mind.

The battle was over in less than three seconds and I looked fearfully at the girl. "No." I whispered, shaking my head. I shoved her into Jean's arms and lit out of there, headed directly for the front door. Celeby screamed and I shut out all the noises. I heard the blood pounding in my ears as I ran from my feelings, ran from the love of that little girl.

Feelings I couldn't have. Feelings I couldn't deal with.

I ran to the woods, crashed into the deepest part and scaled up a tree, shaking with the terror I had. I caught my breath and could faintly hear the screams of the little girl in my head, echoing over and over.

Five minutes later, I caught the scents of Logan and Laura. They climbed up next to me and I scooted over to give them room.

"What was all that? The girl hasn't stopped screamin' since ya left." Laura said crossly.

"I... I don't know... I just..."

"Had ta get away?" Laura asked.

I nodded.

"Yeah, it's kinda tough gettin' rid of those feelings that ya gotta run from love and junk. But ya don't. They ain't comin' back, and that girl needs ya." Laura said, looking at me with fire in her eyes.

Logan nodded. "She won't let anyone else hold her or touch her. She keeps screamin' 'My tigey! My tigey! I sowwy!' She needs ya, Luna. Ya gotta fight the urge ta run, the urge to not love someone. It's kinda pushin' it, yeah, but ya gotta start somewhere."

I blew out a slow breath and my nine-year-old portion gained control. "Alright." I said, sliding down the tree. I waled back into the mansion, side-by-side with Logan and Laura. The girl was still screaming and she saw me. She ran to me and screamed "I sowwy, tigey! I no do that 'gain!"

I bit my lip and picked the girl up. "It's alright." I said quietly, fighting to keep my gentler side in control. "It's just..." I tried to figure out how to explain it to the girl.

"Did bad people hurt you?" she asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, they did."

"I sowwy, tigey. I never hurt you. Never, ever, ever."

"I know ya won't kid." I said softly, smiling at the innocence of this little girl. "Let's get ya ta the Professor, huh?"

"Yeah." the girl said brightly and climbed onto my shoulders. "You walk like army people." she commented as I walked her carefully to the Professor's office.

"That's kinda where I grew up, kid." I said, heading up the stairs.

"Oh. Poor tigey." the girl murmured.

"Yeah. Poor tigey." I whispered, climbing up another flight. We finally reached the doors to the Professor's office and I heard a 'Come in.'

I opened the door and set the girl down in a chair, then leaned against the wall behind it. Everyone kind of shuffled in and the doors were closed.

"Welcome to Xavier's, little one." the Professor said with a kind smile, looking at Celeby. "What is your name?"

The girl looked at me and I nodded. "Go on." I said.

"My name is Celeby." the girl said. "But tigey calls me Pixie." she added brightly.

The Professor looked confused for a split-second. "Tigey?"

I raised my hand. "That'd be me."

The Professor nodded and gave a small chuckle. "Very well, then. Now, Celeby, where are your parents?"

"My daddy died of cancer and my momma is in Vermont." she said, again glancing at me before she answered.

"She can turn invisible, but can't control it real well." I spoke up and Celeby nodded.

"Watch." she said and then she concentrated on the floor below her. She soon shimmered out of view.

"That is quite impressive, Celeby." the Professor said.

"Thanks." Celeby said, coming back into view.

"Celeby, would you like to stay here with us? We can help you with your abilities." the Professor said kindly.

The girl looked back at me and asked, "Are you stayin' here?"

I thought for a moment, then finally rolled my eyes and nodded. "Fine..." I said and the girl squealed and clapped her hands together.

"I stay too!" she declared proudly. "I stay with my tigey!"

Everyone smiled and chuckled and I rolled my eyes again. "Alright kid. Let's find you a room."

"I wanna sleep in your room!" she said, bouncing in the chair.

"No!" I said, so sudden and sharp that I even surprised myself. The girl stopped bouncing and looked at me.

"Why?"

"Because.... I, uh, I... There ain't enough room!" I said.

The girl pouted for a moment, then brightened. "K!" she said. "I get my own room then, right?"

I snorted. "Riiiight." I said sarcastically.

"You can room with me!" Jubilee said, grabbing the girl's hand. "Come on!"

Celeby looked back at me and I smiled.

"Go." I said, making a shooing motion with my hands.

The girl giggled and ran with Jubilee to her new room. I leaned back on the wall the Professor regarded me for a moment.

"The girl seems to have made quite an impression on you." he said.

I shrugged. "Yeah." I said. I walked out the room. I didn't want the Professor asking me why exactly I wouldn't let the girl sleep in my room.

The real reason was because I'd been having nightmares. I didn't want the girl witnessing my midnight terrors.

*****************************

Bedtime finally rolled around and I climbed into my bed after shutting the door, checking for intruders, and turning the light off. I shut my eyes and slept peacefully for about three hours before the first nightmare rolled around.

_I was in a tank with greenish-liquid. There was a tube running to my mouth for oxygen __and then several needles pierced my skin, then pain. The pain was unbearable and I struggled. I was __quickly restrained, and then there was nothing..._

_"Excellent job, doctor." a voice said._

_"Let's drain her, but be sure to keep her immobilized. The adamantium has to set right."_

_Heavy wrapping were applied to my body and I couldn't move._

_"She starts tomorrow." a man's voice said and pain flashed across my cheek as a man slapped me._

_"You're mine now..."_

I shot out of the bed, breathing hard. My pillow had several rips in it and was little more than bits of fluff everywhere. I closed in a scream of terror, trembling slightly as I relived the dreams. I shook and there were tears running down my cheeks, which I hastily wiped away. I rocked myself all night, not daring to go back to sleep.

**********************************

Five o'clock rolled around, so I went ahead and got up. I crossed the room the door after dressing, then slipped silently out, glancing around the halls to be sure I was alone. I was, so I crept down the stairs and satisfied my growling stomach with a quick bowl of cereal. My body burns energy a lot faster than other people's because of the healin' factor, so I got hungrier faster. I wolfed down another bowl and then froze as I heard tiny footsteps behind me.

"I couldn't sleep." Celeby said, crawling into my lap, unafraid. "I had a scary dream. There were needles and I was hurting everywhere." Her lip trembled and I patted her head.

"It'll be alright, hon." I said, wondering how she could have... Naw, it couldn't be...

"Hey, Pixie? You ever been able ta sense other people's emotions afore?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Right now you're... scared and protective. " she proclaimed almost proudly, grabbing my cereal playfully and eating a bite.

I sat quietly, lost in my thoughts. _Could she be an empath? Could she have the ability ta sense others' emotions?_

I stretched and set the girl down on the floor, ate the rest of my cereal, and fixed her some Cheerios. She ate them slowly, and I listened as the others all filed into the room.

"Alright! Last day of school!" Kurt said, teleporting to his seat at the table.

"Like, it's about time! " Kitty said. She looked at me and smiled. "Hey Luna, ya wanna try one of my cookies? They're sugar."

There were very quiet 'No's!' as Kitty handed the cookie to me. I glanced at it and took a quick whiff. It smelled off... Not like the kind Jean made sometimes.

"Uh, no thanks, Kitty. I just ate breakfast." I said, glancing at Celeby and very slightly I shook my head.

"Alright. Hey, Celeby! Ya wanna cookie?"

Celeby shook her head. "No thank you. I eatin' Cheerios."

"Bummer." Kitty said, storing the cookie in her backpack.

Laura walked in arguing with Logan about the grade she made on her last test. "I know I made an eighty-nine. It is not my fault the teacher would not take my extra credit work."

"We made a deal that you would get all A's. You made a B, so no party tonight."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Tell ya what. If I get a one-hundred, you let me go ta the party. Deal?"

Logan smirked. "Deal." he said, and they shook hands on it.

"You goin' to school?" Celeby asked, looking at the various backpacks, books, and papers that were now spread across the table.

"Yeah." Jubilee said, looking behind a thick Algebra book. "Last test for me is math. Ugh." She made a face before returning to studying.

I shook my head and turned to Celeby. "Alright, Pixie. Whatcha gonna do today?"

"I dunno..." Celeby thought for a moment. "Let's go 'splorin'!"

"'Splorin'? What's...?" I looked at Jubilee with a lost expression.

"Exploring." Jubilee said with a 'duh' look.

"Ah." I said. "Alright, kid. Where we goin' then?"

"Woods!" the girl said, bouncing in her chair with excitement.

I smiled. "Now yer talkin'!" I said. My eyes lit up as I thought about prowling around in the woods. Maybe I'd even catch a rabbit to eat...

Not in front of the kid, of course. But maybe I'd catch one and hide it until later.

The girl jumped up out of her chair and ran to the back door. I followed her outside and glanced around for a minute before we plunged into the woods.

Celeby watched a couple of birds in the trees and I took the opportunity to chase down a rabbit. I killed it quickly and buried it right beside a large oak, then trotted back to Celeby's side. I straightened up onto two legs and pointed out a squirrel to the girl. She watched with fascination as the small animal climbed a tree and chattered at us. She giggled quietly and I let her hop onto my back (after making her swear that she would never, ever tell anyone) and we stealthily entered further into the forest.

We came upon a pond and a magnificent buck stepped carefully out. He snorted and stomped his hoof and a doe with two fawns walked slowly out. They all bent down to drink while the buck watched and I motioned for Celeby to be completely silent. She didn't move, just watched the deer with silent respect and admiration.

The deer walked back into the forest after a few moments and I set Celeby down. We crept up to the pond and I pointed out the different hoof prints, telling her which one belonged to which deer. She nodded and repeated what I said and I picked her up again and we continued on.

We came to an old badger set and I could smell that it was at least a few days old. I pointed out various birds and other wildlife. Celeby held her arms up for me to pick her up and I held her as we exited to grab some lunch. We'd already been out for four hours, looking at all the plants and wildlife.

I made Celeby a sandwich and a glass of milk, then went outside with the excuse that I needed to get something outside. I hurried back to the woods and dug up my rabbit, then ate it in the trees. I buried the fur and bones, then carefully cleaned the blood off my hands, face, and fangs. I walked back into the kitchen and Celeby grabbed my hand.

"All done! Let's go back out!"

I stopped her gently and explained that I had to train today. She could play outside, so long as she didn't go into the woods.

She promised she wouldn't, so I let her go outside alone and told her to stay away from the swimming pool. I didn't know if I'd be able to save her if she drowned and I had no idea where Logan was.

I changed into some old clothes and activated the Danger Room. I concentrated hard on controlling my tigress ability, on staying tigress and also as changing back. I could tell that I was getting better, but I had a ways to go before I mastered it.

I morphed into my tiger cub since it was easier to control and found that I had near complete control over it, colors and all. My claws would need some work on controlling the amount that I unleashed.

My ears pricked up when I heard Logan open the door and walk into the middle of my training session. "Bit busy." I grunted, slicing a saw aimed at me.

The session shut down and I stretched. "Kitty showed me how ta set it on a timer." I explained, grabbing a towel and wiping my face with it. I'd been training hard for two hours, roughly, and planned on doing some "light" training for another half-hour. Logan asked where the kid was and I told him in the back. He nodded and said that he was going out for a beer and would I be alright here by myself?

I told him I'd be fine, for one the Professor was here and for two I'd been trained to be alone anyways. Logan scowled at that and said that he should be back in a couple hours and I said O.K.

I had only been training for about fifteen minutes when I heard a blood-curdling scream from outside.

I rushed to the back door and threw it open. Celeby was gone and I caught the scent of wolves. I rushed into the woods and found wolf prints on the ground. I followed them straight to a cave and caught the sound of crying and yipping. I growled low in my throat and stalked stealthily into the cave, keeping to the sides and shadows. There were about seven pups (a large litter for timber wolves, which these were), and five adults; two female, three male.

The pups were all eagerly sniffing Celeby, who was sitting frightened in the back corner. There was one adult male guarding the entrance, and one female watching the pups. If one got too close, she would bare her teeth and snap at them, frightening Celeby further.

The alpha suddenly raised his head and growled. His hackles rose and he stared right at me, teeth bared. His warning was clear: leave now or we fight.

I stepped into the middle of the cave, hands raised. The pups suddenly turned on me and growled, fur all fluffed out. They all stepped forward and the female in charge of them cut them off. She bared her teeth and they all coward beside Celeby.

All five adults circled around me and I transformed into a black tigress. I roared and they attacked.

I felt one bite my ears and another go for my legs. One leaped on my back and attacked the skin there. I yelped in pain and batted the one at my legs away. I bit the one at my ears on the front foot and he yipped and scratched my face. The alpha male growled and tore into my throat with his sharp teeth. The blood poured out of it and I staggered. I didn't fall, though, and I scratched the alpha across the face. I bit the alpha female on the muzzle and the other male on the tail. I fought all of them, my wounds healing up at a slower and slower pace. My healin' factor wasn't strong enough yet to handle _all _my wounds, but it sealed up the smaller scrapes and bites. I staggered again and bit the alpha male on the front right foot. He tore again into my throat and spilled more of my blood to the ground and the alpha female ripped into my front left foot. Another wolf bit my other front foot and the last two followed suit with my back feet.

I stumbled, but this time I couldn't keep my footing. I fell with a thump and the wolves all gathered for one final spring.

"No!" I heard Celeby whisper and I closed my eyes. _This is for you, kid. _I thought.

I struggled to my bloody feet and ran as fast as I could to Celeby. I picked her up in my teeth and dashed through all the wolves. The pups bit my tail and feet, adding to the marks I had already gained and the adults scratched at my face. Blood dripped into my eyes and I couldn't see. I ran blindly back to the mansion, listening to Celeby's directions of 'Right! Left! Stop, the door!'

I skidded to a halt and Celeby slid off. She opened the door and I collapsed inside the doorway, unable to go any further. Celcby tugged on my sore ears, urging me to get up.

"Come on, tigey! The wolfsies will be here! We gotta close the door!" I felt moisture hit my fur and realized that the child was crying.

I gave a small whine and lifted my head. I could see the girl trying to move me by herself, tears running down her cheeks. "Hurry..." she whispered.

I could hear howls in the distance, getting closer. I hurled myself to my feet, crying softly with a small 'miaw' noise, and collapsed again a few feet from the door. Celeby closed and bolted the door, then sat bedside me and softly stroked my fur.

"It'll be awight, tigey." she said. She watched as the smaller cuts and bites on my body healed over. There was still a large hole in my throat, but it had mostly stopped bleeding. I knew I looked horrible and everyone should be home in about five minutes or so.

I raised my head to look at the child. She had a small cut on her cheek and I gently licked it and Celeby gave a sob and hugged me on the head. Somehow it had gone from her comforting me to me comforting her.

I purred in my throat for a minute, but had to stop because it was getting too painful. It hurt to breath and I wondered how long it would take for me to heal.

Celeby sat quietly with me for a second and then her eyes lit up as if she had suddenly thought of something. "Hank! Tigey, I go get Hank! He can help my tigey!"

I moaned and shook my head. Her lip trembled and she looked at me.

"Why? He help you tigey!"

I flicked my hurt tail and tried to get her to understand. I couldn't speak while in this form, so I had to change back.

"Wait, tigey! NO!" the girl screamed, watching me transform human again.

My front feet slowly melted into hands and my back feet repositioned themselves. My ears moved over and I had to stifle a cry when my body adjusted. It was more painful than usual because of my injuries; I almost couldn't bear it.

I was human again, but the hole in my throat managed to rip itself open some more. Blood oozed out of it and it became even more painful to breath. "Hank ain't here, honey." I wheezed.

"No talk, tigey! You'll hurt yourself!" the girl cried, tears again dripping onto my fur. I caught the sound of a door slamming and looked up at Celeby. I got to my feet, staggering a little, and Celeby tried to pull me down again.

"Hon, if they see me like this, it ain't gonna be good, you understand? I can't let them see me lyin' on the floor."

It was more of a pride issue for me, but the girl seemed to understand what I was saying. She nodded and I held up my bloody hands. There were still a couple scratches, but they disappeared after a few moments. My feet healed up and I could feel the bites on my back start to heal. I staggered again and then I crashed to the floor, hitting my head on the hardwood floor. Celeby screamed and I heard several shouts of 'Luna!' before all was black.

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-evil smile- Cliffhangers are fun!

Will Luna heal completely? Will Celeby ever be able to go into the woods again? And what about the X-Men? What will they do? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

P.S. Let me know in a review/PM whether y'all want longer chapters or more frequent updates. Or if y'all are even readin' the story... lol

Again, five reviews for next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	10. Runaway

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: Kudos to you for reviewing so soon! Here's your next chapter!

NeverWasteYourTears: Hazzah! A new reviewer! Glad you liked the quote, maybe you can help me find some others? Lol, thanks for the review.

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: "Borrow money from a pessimist- they don't expect it back."

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"Tigey?"

I struggled to regain my vision as I sat up and blinked rapidly several times. I swung my feet out of the warm bed and glanced blearily around the white room.

Celeby was sitting in one of the metal chairs beside the bed and she pushed against my legs as I tried to get up.

"No, tigey! Hank said you can't get up! You gotta rest, tigey!" she said, struggling to push me back onto the bed.

I growled, painfully I might add, and finally let her push me into the pillows. "Kid, I ain't gonna stay here forever." I rasped. It hurt to talk, not as much as it had, but it still hurt.

"You stay here long as Hank says." the girl said, crossing her arms and giving me a glare beneath her lashes.

I growled again and opened my mouth to tell the kid that I didn't take orders from nobody when she suddenly yawned and climbed up into the bed beside me. She snuggled into my chest and closed her eyes. She smiled and murmured "Tigey get better." before dropping off to sleep.

I stared at the little girl who didn't seem to have any fear of me. This tiny little five-year-old wasn't afraid to climb in my lap, or look me in the eyes, or let me hold her. She let me feed her and take care of her and she only flinched away once from me, when I raised my hand and she thought I was gonna hit her.

I sat her down that same day and told her that I would never, ever hit her. I told her that bad people had once hit me daily and that I didn't want her to ever feel that pain and she had hugged me and I had told her that I had to get used to hugging and she said that she'd hug me everyday until I did.

There was a noise at the door and it opened to reveal Hank and Logan. I could see Logan fighting a smile at the sight of the little girl next to me, cuddling up beside me. I rolled my eyes with a smile and gently stroked the girl's hair and she shifted, putting a hand accidentally across my throat. I winced, but didn't wake the girl up. I gently moved her hand lower down to the top of my chest and she gave a contented sort of sigh and snuggled deeper into me.

It still hurt to breath, and the girl was making it harder on my lungs with her position, so I had to shift her over a bit until she was on my pillow. She still had her arms wrapped around me and she pressed her face into my arm. I looked over at Logan as if to say 'now what?' and he just smiled.

"Jus' let 'er sleep." he said and I huffed quietly.

"How am I gonna get up with her holdin' me here?" I said.

"Yer not." Logan said with a smirk and I scowled.

"Luna, what happened?" Hank asked, pointing with his pen at my throat.

I growled once, forgetting for a moment about the pain and Celeby, and she opened her eyes and sat up.

"Whas wrong, tigey?" she whispered. "I was havin' a nice dream. It had a pony in it." she said dreamily.

"I was simply inquiring about the puncture wound in your "tigey's" throat." Hank said and the girl scrunched her face up in confusion.

"Huh?" she said.

"He wants ta know why there's a hole in my neck." I choked out, grimacing at the pain in my throat.

"Tigey no talk." Celeby said, putting a tiny hand across my mouth.

I blinked in surprise and pulled her hand off. I wanted to tell her that the next time she did that, her hand wasn't gonna be connected to the rest of her body long afterwards, but I didn't. I simply said, "Don't do that." and she nodded.

"I tell them, tigey. You no talk. You rest your neck." the girl said, looking fearlessly into my eyes. She turned to our audience and told them the story. "I was playin' in the back and this big wolfy grabbed me. He made a barky noise and a pretty little wolfy came out of the woods and sniffed me. The little wolfy chased his tail and I laughed, until the big wolfy began to take me into the woods. I screamed, 'cause my tigey told me not to go there 'lone. The big wolfy started to run and I ended up in this big cave-place. A bunch of little wolfies were playin' and the big wolfy set me down beside them and made a yippy noise to a girl wolfy and she made a whining noise. Then the little wolfies started to howl, until the big girl wolfy growled at them. They crowded around me and then I heard my tigey roar at the big boy wolfy. The big wolfies all attacked my tigey and the really big boy one bit her here." Celeby pointed to her own throat before continuing. "My tigey made a really scary noise and fought the big wolfies. She fell down and the wolfies almost got her until she got up and grabbed me. We ran back to the house and locked the door. The end." the girl said, taking a huge breath of air at the ending.

Logan raised his eyebrow, but didn't comment. I felt my neck start to close even more and I stretched it up slightly as it sealed completely. I rubbed the freshly sealed spot on my neck and Celeby clapped.

"Tigey all better!" she squealed, grabbing me around the neck and squeezing me. I snorted and rolled my eyes once more, but I put my hands gently on her back and patted it. She let go after a moment and looked me in the eyes. I vaguely saw Logan and Hank leave.

"Tigey?"

"Yeah?"

"I no want you hurt no mores. My tigey's already been hurt. No more." she said, tears swimming in her eyes. She paused, then said, "Tigey?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's your mama? Or your daddy?"

I took a deep breath and hardened my face. "They're dead." I said shortly. "And they ain't never comin' back, so there ain't no point cryin' about it."

Celeby looked at me in shock and asked, "But, tigey.... Don't ya ever miss 'em?"

"No." I said coldly.

"But why?"

"Ya wanna know why kid? My dad killed my mom when I was just a year old! I _couldn't _miss her!" I yelled, turning my body to face Celeby. She had leaped off the bed in fright and she lay on the floor. Tears were in her eyes and she turned her face from me. She got up and ran out the door while I stared after her. My ears drooped as I realized that I had just driven away probably the most important person in my life. The one person who chose me, and I chose her.

My angel.

***************************************

"Celeby!" I called, struggling out of the bed. I landed heavily and got to my feet, racing off after the little mutant. "Pixie, hon, I'm sorry!" I called out, sniffing my way to wherever she had fled. She had gone up the elevator, right to the 'main floor', so I dashed up the stairs, leaping them two by two. I banged open the door and the trail ended.

I searched through all the rooms, finally locating a faint sniffling sound in the living room. I heard a voice, Jean's... Scott was there too.... Oh boy...

"What's wrong, Celeby?" Jean asked and the girl sniffled.

"T-T-Tigey yelled at me..." she said, heart wrenching sobs punctuating the end of her sentence.

"She did? What'd she do and say?" Scott asked.

"She growled and hissed at me and then she raised her hand like she was gonna hit me and she showed her sharp teeth, like this," Celeby opened her mouth in a poor imitation of a snarl. "Then she started yellin' 'bout her momma and she pushed me on the floor. I got up and ran and she started to chase me." Celeby sobbed and clung tight to Jean and Scott.

I bit my lip and was about to walk in there and set things right when Jean spoke. "Now, baby, that doesn't sound like something Luna would do. Are you sure that's how it happened?"

The girl nodded violently. "Yeah. Sh- she scares me..." She trembled and looked at the pair. "She was really scary when she attacked those wolfsies. She snarled and growled and really hurt the poor wolfsies." Celeby was still crying and now she laid her head on Jean's shoulder.

"Well, honey, they _did _attack her first." Jean pointed out, but Celeby turned her face away.

My shoulders slumped and my tail drooped as I walked away from the room. I had scared that little girl...

_Good._ My animal side snarled. _You don't need her._

I walked back to the Infirmary and flopped onto the bed. I stubbornly held back every tear, shocked at how I could cry over this little girl.

I drifted off into a fitful sleep, plagued more than ever by my nightmares.

*********************************

I got up hazily the next morning. I had stayed up most the night to avoid the nightmares.

I shuffled to the kitchen, after stopping by my room and changing clothes, and grabbed a pear. I munched on it until Celeby walked in, then I went out by way of the back door. _Stupid kid. Who does she think she is, sayin' I'd hit her? _I thought angrily. I wandered around the spacious backyard until the Sun was high up in the sky, then I left for the Danger Room. There was a training session today and I was _not _gonna be late for it.

I walked into the Danger Room with my head held high, like I didn't need friends. The session was started and I unsheathed my claws, hacking through everything and anyone who got in my way be damned.

Hack. Jump. Slice. Kick. Punch. Fall. Land. Roll. Spring. Claw. Win.

I repeated my 'dance' without concern for anyone's safety but mine. I cared only for me. I wouldn't care about anyone else. I _wouldn't_.

_Caring leads to love which leads to loss which leads to pain. _I told myself firmly as I finished up a leap and slice. There was an indignant "Hey!" from 'Shadowcat' as the hacked away rubble fell on her and she phased through it.

"Luna, like watch out! What is _with _you today!" Shadowcat yelled.

I didn't answer, just kept driving myself into a rage, deeper and deeper. My inner beast grinned horribly as I reverted further into the madness. Finally, the breaking point snapped and with an enraged cry, I hacked into the giant robot that had appeared out of nowhere.

My claws made a screeching noise as they cut into the metal hull of the robot and it turned its red eyes on me.

"Unidentified mutant." it intoned. "Destroy." A cannon-launcher gun thing (see how technical I am?) came out of its arm and it turned the weapon to me. I waited until the last second before leaping away, landing on my feet on the floor twenty feet below.

I rolled as I landed, so as not to hurt myself, and clawed at the thing's legs. Sparks flew and the robot blasted at me again. I barely rolled out of the way, circling around the back. It turned to face me and I heard a noise behind me.

Spinning around, I came face-to-face with Pio- Colossus and he smiled at me.

"Do you need a hand?" he asked and I turned around.

"No." I growled. "I don't need help." I launched myself again at the robot recklessly and it brought its arm down on me. I was smashed into the floor, but I kept coming. I got up and leaped again at its face, leaping onto the giant arm before it could crash down on me again.

"Luna, stop!" Cyclops shouted and was quickly joined joined in by others.

"You're gonna hurt yourself!"

"Quit it, Luna!"

"Kid!"

I couldn't see straight, blood pounded in my ears. I saw red and the only thing in that room was me and the robot. The robot defied me, it was bigger than me and it had hurt me.

It would pay for hurting me.

I swung my hand up and slashed the creature's face. The screech of metal-on metal was heard and sparks again flew. I brought my other hand up to damage the beast some more when it suddenly died down. It went back into the wall and I was dropped onto my feet.

I whirled around in a crouch, ready to spring, murder in my eyes. A growl rumbled in my chest and was suppressed by my pursed lips. "What. Happened." I demanded, punctuating each word with a single step forward. I held my claws up, the meaning clear.

"Luna, you were... are obviously out of control. Control your temper and you will be allowed back in here. But not until then." Cyclops said, stepping forward.

I growled again and stalked out of the room. They'd never take the Danger Room away from me. I'd find a way in.

I went to my room and locked myself in, then turned to my window and stared out my window.

************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"So yer sayin' that she's got three differ'nt personalities in her head?" Logan said in stunned disbelief.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Logan." Professor Xavier said as he laced his fingers together. The X-Men were all meeting in the War Room to discuss the latest... _problem_, for lack of a better term. "A pure animal side, a side that is obviously military and very strict, and then there's a pure, innocent part that always seems to be overshadowed by one or indeed both at times. It seems to be the cause for her wild mood swings and behavioral issues, as well as a bit of her temper."

"So what do we do about them?" someone asked.

The Professor closed his eyes for a second, then reopened them. He seemed to have an idea, albeit a reluctant one.

"I'll have to go inside her mind and try to-"

Before he finished, Jean was on her feet. "Professor, no! Remember what happened last time?"

The Professor had almost been lost forever.

"I understand your concern, Jean, but for Luna's sake I must try."

"Why can't the kid just learn ta control 'em?" Laura asked.

"I have no doubt that she tries, however they are just too strong. They constantly overpower the nine-year-old portion of her mind, and seem to sometimes mold together to form an extremely dangerous, extremely intelligent, and a very bloodthirsty being."

Laura nodded and seemed to be in deep thought.

"I still don't think it's a good idea that you enter her mind. Who knows what you'll find!" Jean argued.

"We will never know unless we try, Jean." the Professor told her gently.

"But what will we do without you?" Jean whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

Scott held her close and wiped the tears away. "Just what he trained us to do, Jean." he said. "We keep the peace and work for cooperation among humans and mutants alike."

They all looked up sharply when they heard a shout and the sound of breaking glass.

********************************

**Luna's POV**

"Shut up!" I whispered fiercely to myself, hitting my head with the heel of my palm.

Yes, I was talking to my own head. No, I was... am not crazy.... much....

'_Kill them all. You don't need them.'_

"Yes I do! Now both of you just shut up!"

_My animal side gave a savage growl and imagined tearing them all to pieces._

"No, I will not! Now stop it!!"

'_Friends are weakness. Weakness is pain. Do you want to feel anymore pain?'_

"No, but-"

'_Shut up! You remember what happens when you talk back?'_

"You don't control me anymore!" I shouted, striking my head again and again. "Get out of my head!"

_There was an evil laugh and then the military voice spoke. 'We are both a part of you, and the sooner you accept it, the better.'_

"I won't!" I screamed, hitting myself harder and harder. There was an odd sort of ringing every time I hit my head.

_'You can't stop us!'_

_'We will kill them all!'_

"NO!!" I screamed, clutching my head. It felt like someone was stabbing it with a fire poker-thing... You know, the pointy thing you use to push logs?

I squeezed my eyes shut and fought back the tears. "No." I whispered, shaking my head. I knew what I had to do...

I leaped out the glass in the second-story window in my room and landed heavily on my feet. I ran to the front of the mansion, sticking to shadows. I came to the huge gate and immediately grabbed the metal. I pulled myself up and slowly began to scale the fence. My gloves protected my hands from my nails, and I pulled myself up the fence. There were spikes-_spikes!-_ at the top, so I balanced carefully and leaped.

I hit the pavement really hard and sat dazed for a second before I came to my senses. My military side was in complete control, so I began to formulate a strategy that would get us safely to the city not far from here.

"If the Sun sets in the west, then town should be to the south." I muttered to myself, turning to face the correct direction. I started running in that direction, doubling my pace with every three miles. I reached the 'bad' side of town.

There were broken windows and scattered glass everywhere. Bums and homeless people littered the streets and more than once they tried to grab me. I hissed every time and scratched at them. They left me alone.

I pricked my ears up as I caught the sound of a car and I quickly dived into an alley. A bright yellow SUV rolled by and I held my breath, wondering who it could be. It didn't stop, just went right through the neighborhood.

I didn't recognize the driver, so I discounted it and continued on my way. Before long, I came upon an empty store with cardboard covering the busted out windows. I took one out, crawled inside, and replaced it. The building was an old, abandoned bar. There were rats, mice, roaches, and filth _everywhere_ and I nearly gagged on the stench.

I found some old newspaper and fell asleep on top of the bar counter, noticing the faint pink that signaled sundown on the horizon.

*****************************************

I was up at dawn, looking around the pathetic place that I had found myself in last night. It reeked of all kinds of unpleasant odors, the most pleasant being mold.

I wrinkled my nose and carefully slipped out, my stomach growling hungrily. I frowned at it, but of course that didn't help. My body was starting to burn more energy than I could give, leaving me weak and dizzy and nauseous all at once. It was annoying.

I located an open 'restaurant', if you could call it that, around the corner and snuck in. I grabbed as much as I carry; bread, a spoon, knife, and fork, pasta noodles, a frozen package of meatballs, peanut butter packets, some jelly packets, a fish, and a jar of spaghetti sauce.

The peanut butter and jelly packets both went into my trenchcoat pockets and the bread went under my shirt. I carried everything else, shoving the silverware in another pocket and the jar of spaghetti sauce was tucked under my arm with the fish. The meatballs were shoved in a trenchcoat pocket with the pasta noodles. I hurried back to the bar as fast as I could without spilling my food.

I set everything on the counter as soon as I safely got inside and spread it all out.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were obvious, as was spaghetti. Fish sandwiches, maybe? I wished I could have grabbed some cheese, but I would have been caught.

I stared at my meager supplies, trying to find a different combination of food, but somehow jelly and fish didn't sound too good.

I sighed and decided to have "sushi" for breakfast. I cut the meat off the bones, tossed the bones outside, and ate the meat raw. It wasn't bad, really, but I would have preferred a hot meal.

I put everything behind the counter for safekeeping, then slipped out to do some hunting around.

I snuck back to the kitchen and discovered that they hadn't found out about the stolen goods, so I snuck back in and grabbed two cans of soup, a can of salmon, tuna, and sardines, and a package of precooked hamburger meat. I smuggled the food back to my hideaway and stared almost proudly at my stash.

_That should keep me stable for at least... four or five days. _I decided.

I looked up at the Sun and decided that some lunch couldn't hurt, so I ripped open the package of hamburger meat and wolfed it down.

Hunger appeased, I glanced around again at the filthy place and noticed a door that I hadn't seen earlier. I crept over to it, opened it, and took a cautious step inside. I could see in the dim light and noticed first off that it was a passage-like room. The walls were narrow, just big enough for me to get through, and smelled strongly of mold. I crept along the passage, following the twists and turns that left me dizzy, and finally was dumped into a big circular room. It held nothing save for bare walls, a dripping ceiling, and a stone floor. No furniture, no nothing.

I looked along the walls, searching for another room. Surely this passage wouldn't lead to nowhere?

And then I spotted it. Across the room and to my left, there was a small hole in the wall, like a crawlspace. It was an escape tunnel!

I walked over to it and lifted the covering in front of it, then shimmied through the narrow crawl-space. I wriggled through and about ten minutes later, my hands touched water. I had been dumped right into the streets of New York. I had been following a dried-up sewer line!

Satisfied that I at least had a viable escape route, I returned to my hideaway. Nothing was touched and the door was still cracked. I shut it completely, turned back to the counter, and dug around behind it. I came up with two empty beer bottles, a bottle opener, and a can opener. The bottles I could wash out and put fresh water in. But what would I want with a can opener and a bottle opener?

Shrugging, I set them back where I had found them. I rushed back to the kitchen, filled the bottles up, tossed some ice in it, and dashed back to the bar. I set them on the counter with all the other food items and regarded all my goods with a keen eye.

_O.K., so the food should last at least four days, assuming I stay here that long. That means that I could have three meals a day and a small snack in between each, and still be alright. The kitchen is right around the corner and I'm far enough away from the X-Men that they shouldn't find me. _My military "half" informed me of all these facts and I nodded to myself. _Good. I have a newspaper that will serve as a blanket, for now. The boards should keep it warm in here, at least until bad weather hits. It's only about late May-early June anyways. I have an escape route and also powers if I have to fight._

I smiled for the first time since arriving and stretched. I had to keep busy, though, if I was to keep my skills honed to perfection. I practiced a few Judo moves, some karate, and kickboxing. I slashed at imaginary enemies, tearing them apart in my mind. I transformed into a tiger cub, flashed colors, then worked my way up to a tigress.

I held onto that form for two minutes this time, changing colors the entire time. Colors were no problem, it was actually holding the adult tigress form that gave me problems. I decided to call it quits for now and that I'd pick it up again after dinner. I spun around the room just for the heck of it and finally I stepped once again outside. I walked around the town until sundown, then hurried back to the bar. The last thing I wanted was to be outside at night. Not that I was afraid, I was just... cautious.

I fixed a light dinner of two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, practiced my martial arts training some more, held my tigress form for two-and-a-half minutes, put away all my food in a pantry I had found above the counter, then went to bed, curling up under the newspaper on top of the counter.

***************************************

Morning. Five A.M., to be exact.

I stretched and rolled off the counter on my feet, folding the newspaper up and laying it on the counter. I checked my food supplies and fixed another couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before starting my morning session. I started with meditation, transitioned into Judo, and finished off with some karate. I meditated again, sinking down into the proper position, closing my eyes, and taking deep, full breaths. I remained that way for two peaceful hours, content to listen to nothing but my own breathing and heartbeat.

*************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Luna!" Logan roared, crashing a fist in the form of a rough knock on the wooden door. "Kid, I'm gonna count ta three and if this door ain't open by then, I'm gonna break it down! One!"

No answer.

"Two!"

Nothing.

"Three!!" And with that, Logan smashed the door down, sending the doorknob flying across the room. It hit the wall and ricocheted off, leaving a deep dent in the plaster. Dust floated to the floor.

The first noticeable was the draft, which was due to the smashed window at the other end of the room. Laura ran to the window and reported that Luna had most likely leaped through it. Below she could dimly make out a very small indention in the soft leaves below her window.

"She definitely jumped." Laura reported. "No doubt about it."

"Question is, why?" Bobby said, looking around the room. It was bare, the only thing was the bed, wardrobe closet, and dresser.

"Kinda dreary in here." Rahne remarked, glancing at the bare walls.

"Yeah. We should-" Jubilee started.

"Like, take her-" Kitty said.

"Shopping!" the two girls finished together, beaming brightly and laughing.

"If you two don't mahnd!" Rogue snapped. "We gotta runaway mutant on our hands!"

"A nine-year-old, at that." Sam said. "Who knows what might happen to her out on the streets, alone?"

"Pffftttt, she can take care of herself!" Evan said confidently.

Nobody bothered to comment on that.

"Warren, I need you and Storm up in the air for a visual." the Professor said.

The two chosen ones nodded and quickly took off through the smashed window.

Rogue, who had discovered her powers of flight and super-strength months ago, immediately asked why she couldn't go.

"Rogue, I need you and Kurt to teleport around and see what information you can gain from local cities. You can handle teleporting more than the others, so I need you to assist Kurt." the Professor explained.

"Professor, how far do you want us to go?" Kurt asked.

"Just two towns over in each direction. Ask as many people as you can. Use this picture Kitty took." Kitty pulled a picture out of her pocket.

"I was about to put it on her door, so she could, like, put it in her album." Kitty explained.

"Rogue, if you need some of my power, just ask." Kurt said with a fanged smile as Rogue put her gloved hand in his. Rogue nodded and they were off.

"Logan, Laura, you two are the best trackers we have. I need you two to see if you can't follow her scent. Go as far as you must." the Professor continued with his instructions and the pair was off.

"Jean, Scott, I need you two to take the X-Van and some of the other students and see if you can't spot her around the area somewhere. Check all the schools and the Brotherhood place."

They nodded and they motioned for Bobby, John, Sam, Kitty, Jubilee, and Rahne to follow. The handful left stood awaiting directions.

"Ray, Roberto, Amara, you three go see if she's in the forest hiding somewhere. I highly doubt that she is, but we have to be certain."

"We're on it Professor." Amara said, leading the boys out of the room.

"Evan, you and Piotr see if the Morlocks know anything. Maybe Caliban can help find her."

"On it, Professor X." Evan said, running out of the room with Piotr close behind.

"Jamie, and Remy can search the mansion on the off-chance that she's still here."

"O.K." the young mutant said and scurried off. Remy sauntered out after him. Finally, the Professor turned to Hank.

"Hank, do you think your peers in the science community could help?" the Professor asked.

Hank looked into the Professor's troubled eyes. "You are really worried about her, aren't you Charles?" he said softly.

"Yes, I am. She's unstable right now, Hank. She could do distressing damage to her mind if she is not found soon."

"Understood. I will see what Dr. Reynolds can tell me." Hank bounded away and the Professor wheeled himself to the room containing Cerebro.

He placed the helmet on his head and it activated instantly. He immediately began to search for the lost mutant, fearful of the consequences should he fail to locate her.

**********************************

**Luna's POV**

"SHUT UP!!" I screamed, clapping my hands to my head and dropping to my knees. "Both of you! Just shut up!!"

_'You know what has to be done. This is what we were trained to do.' the cold, merciless voice hissed as it slowly began to constrict around her mind._

"NO!!" I shrieked, desperately holding onto my head. I had to stay in control... People would be hurt otherwise.

_'You will do as we say!' the cold voice said, taking control with its icy grip. It wrapped around her mind like a snake, slithering around until it was completely in control._

I immediately straightened up and climbed out of the window, glancing over my shoulder every few minutes. I walked quickly and purposely, never tarrying. I was on a mission.

I stopped in front of a nondescript building. Dirt was evident and the paint peeled off the bricks. I climbed in stealthily through an open window, dropping onto carpeted flooring. _They make things too easy._

I crept over to the master bedroom and spotted my sleeping prey. It was just after midnight and the house was silent.

The Governor's parents. Perfect. They also had two adopted, slumbering children, a boy and a girl.

They would all die tonight.

I stalked over to the sleeping pair, drawing my claws slowly. I dropped to the side of the bed and leaned over. My claws glinted in the moonlight as I reached over.

I made one clean slash, right across the throat. Five bloody cuts bled out all over the sheets and the Governor's father stopped breathing. I did the same to the mom, then murdered the children. They also had a small infant. A visitor, perhaps? I didn't matter, I killed it too. The last thing to die were the pets, a fat Chihuahua curled up on the couch and a goldfish. I snapped the dog's neck cleanly, then simply left the goldfish out of the water. I didn't feel like fish tonight, so I left it gasping for... water on the table.

My mission being completed, I raided the fridge and pantries, took everything I could carry, and left silently, running all the way back to the bar.

****************************

Day three of my life away from the X-Men. Halfway through the day, a headline on the paper caught my eye.

**Parents of Governor Henry found murdered by authorities!**

I flipped the paper open and hurriedly began reading.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I had killed them. It wasn't a dream. I had really killed them.

************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Professor! Hurry, check the news!" Jean said, sprinting into the kitchen early that same morning.

The television was flipped onto Channel 5 News and the handsome male reporter smiled at the camera.

"And our top story today. It seems that our own Governor Henry Walson's parents have been..." The reporter's eyebrows shot up as he read the paper in front of him. "Oh my." he said. "Folks, it seems that Mr. Walson's parents, as well as the Walson's two adopted children and pets, have been murdered." He paused to let that sink in. "Police reports show that the cause of death seems to be five claw marks across the throat. Their dog's neck was broken, and their goldfish was left out of water all night and well into the afternoon." The reporter looked shocked as he read this.

"Five claw marks..." Laura muttered, looking at her own knuckles. "No... It couldn't be..."

"X-Men, suit up. We _must _find Luna before it is too late" the Professor firmly. The kitchen was suddenly empty as everyone rushed to get ready to track down their feral runaway.

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-evil smile- Cliffhangers are fun!

What's going to happen to Luna? And what about poor little Celby? Will she ever see her "Tigey" again? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

P.S. Let me know in a review/PM whether y'all want longer chapters or more frequent updates. Or if y'all are even readin' the story... lol

_**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	11. NO!

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: Oooooo.... Thanks for the idea about Logan/Luna father/daughter ideas....! I was originally goin' to do that, then forgot to add it in... D:

Miz: Yay! New reviewer! Here's the next chappie :)

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: "When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity."

- Albert Einstein

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"No! Why did you _do _this?!" I shouted angrily.

_'It was necessary to show you what happens when you defy us.'_

"But ta kill innocent people! That's just... _wrong_!" I cried. I started to pound my fists against my head again.

_'That will get you nowhere.' The cold voice hissed calmly. 'You cannot drive us out without harming yourself. You know that.'_

_The beast chuckled darkly._

I sank to my knees, my hands over my face. "What have I done?" I whispered. The tears stayed in my eyes, my cheeks stayed dry. I pulled myself to my feet and rummaged through my food supplies, pulling out the spaghetti noodles, meatballs, and spaghetti sauce. I tossed everything together in a bowl I had swiped and ate it. It was food.... and the last it.

I finished up my rather crunchy meal, got to my feet, and started on my martial arts.

I looked outside at the setting Sun, and thought about how long I had been gone. I'd managed to stay gone for five days now. The X-Men probably weren't even looking for me. Why look for someone who's caused nothing but trouble?

I wrapped myself up in the newspaper and fell asleep, twitching fitfully in the growing darkness.

*********************************

The day passed without incident. I couldn't find any food, so I simply didn't eat. I practiced on my fighting literally all day, sunup to sundown and well into the night. I finally dropped off to sleep about three in the morning, and awoke the next day at five. I repeated the previous day's pattern, never stopping to rest, never stopping for anything.

I was burning up too much energy, but I couldn't stop. I was crazy with training, it helped me forget what had happened.

What I'd done.

*************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Why haven't we found her yet!" Logan said angrily, sniffing the air for the hundredth time. Still no scent.

"Maybe she just doesn't _want _ta be found." Laura said, starting off in a northern direction. "You go South. Keep in contact." she said and Logan nodded, scowling. They parted ways and went back to tracking down their lost companion.

"Professor, I'm... I'm afraid. What if we never find Luna? Do you think she'd kill anybody else?" Kitty asked worriedly, sitting down for dinner the next evening. Logan and Laura still hadn't returned from tracking down Luna.

"Don't worry, Kitty. We will find her." the Professor said assuringly.

Kitty didn't say anything, she just went back to eating her spaghetti. (A.N. Can anyone tell I'm hungry for some pasta? Lol)

Hank glanced yet again at the clock. "Charles, shouldn't Logan and Laura be back yet?" he said.

"Yes, Hank. They should have been back at least an hour ago. They said they'd be back by dinner." the Professor mused.

"Could this mean that they have located our missing quarry?" Hank asked.

"No, Hank. I don't believe so. They would have checked in by now." The Professor sat in his chair, deep in thought. What had happened?

"Laura, check in. Ya find anything yet?"

"Negative, Logan. Quiet as a boneyard here." Laura said, creeping around the deserted side-street. Ironically, it was a foggy evening.

"Damn. Alright then, we'll have ta call it a night." Logan said, turning down the street to meet at the rendezvous point. "I'll meet ya back at the old fountain then." he sighed.

"Affirmative. Laura over and out."

"Yeah, whatever." Logan muttered. He froze as he caught a scent on the slight breeze. _What the-? Kayla?_

Logan followed the strangely familiar scent into an old building. Sitting in a chair, shot glass in hand, was none other than Kayla Silverfox.

"Hey wild thing." she said with a small wink. She got up and wrapped her arms around her former lover and friend and kissed him very lightly on the lips. "Surprised to see me, Wolverine?" she said teasingly.

"Ya could say that." Logan said, shaking off his surprise and disentangling himself from Kayla's grasp. "What're ya doin' here, Kayla?"

"I heard that my little Artemis was missing, and I was in the neighborhood so I decided to take a look around." Kayla said, pulling up a chair for Logan to sit down in.

Logan took a seat and regarded his old flame with keen, searching eyes. "Why're ya all the way over here though? Why'd ya just up and leave Canada?"

"My business is my own, Logan." Kayla said shortly. "Suffice it to say that I'm here now and why doesn't matter. Now, are we gonna find Artemis or are we just gonna sit and chat?"

They got up and walked out the door, Kayla keeping pace with Logan as they sped to the rendezvous point.

"Who's this?" Laura grunted, gesturing to Kayla when they reached the fountain.

"Old friend." Logan said gruffly, not wanting to explain any further.

Laura nodded curtly to Kayla and glanced quickly around. "Let's get outta here." she muttered, standing up and sprinting into the dark, Logan and Kayla close behind.

**********************************************

"Not a damn thing, Chuck." Logan said in response to the Professor's question as to what they had uncovered.

"I see. Logan, who's this?" the Professor asked, catching sight of Kayla.

"Kayla Silverfox. Old friend. Don't worry, she's a mutant."

"I see." the Professor said again. "And what can you do, if I may ask?"

"Influence others to do what I want, so long as I can touch them skin-to-skin briefly." Kayla said with a warm smile. She could already tell that she could trust the people here. After all, Logan sort of did.

Kayla was introduced to everyone, shown to a room, and caught up on everything that they knew about "Artemis", as Kayla called her and continued to call her, no matter how often they reminded her that it was actually Luna.

****************************************************

**Luna's POV**

A week and a half X-Men free. I'd been gone for nearly two weeks now and hadn't had a bite to eat for a week straight out of that week-and-a-half.

I prowled through the streets, stubbornly continuing my exercise routine regardless of the sharp hunger pains that attacked my body. I ran for a full block, sprinting back to the run-down bar. I leaped in through the broken window and ducked under the counter. I drained the very last bottle of water that I had (it wasn't much water, maybe half a swallow) and tossed the empty bottle back under the counter. I couldn't get more, the kitchen was on to me. They had thrown sharp objects at me last time I broke in, so my only source of food and water was gone. I climbed up onto the old counter, drew my trenchcoat around my thin, frail-ish body, laid my hat over my eyes, and went to sleep. The bar darkened in the dying light and far in the distance I heard hounds howling, lamenting to the lonely, full moon.

**************************************

Two weeks. I was slowly losing weight, helped along by my frequent training sessions. I was forced to kill two more people; the mayor's parents this time.

Three weeks. I was definitely underweight and didn't know how much longer I could go. Sure, I'd been starved before, but even then someone had managed to sneak a couple bites of food to me. This was complete starvation. I killed two more, both some important figure's parents. I felt dirty, wrong.

Four weeks. A full month. A month with no one but me and my two other 'halves' driving me insane. No food or water; I was little more than bones and fur. Some muscle remained and still I carried on my rigorous training exercises. I collapsed more than twice and my military side made me beat myself, tearing at my tired flesh with my claws and nails. I hated myself, but I knew I couldn't die. Nothing would help. No one would save my from this place in my mind I called hell.

Still no one.

No one.

No one.

No one would ever come for me. The X-Men probably hated me, my father certainly didn't like me, and no one else knew I existed.

I wanted to be loved, to be remembered.

I wanted another chance.

************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"A whole month and no sign of her. Do you think we should just give it up?" Rogue asked, not uncaringly.

Logan growled. "No!" he snarled, standing up swiftly. "We won't give up! Luna _will _be found!" And with that he took off on his motorcycle for the fifth time that day.

"He just won't give up, will he?" Blob, or Fred Dukes, asked.

"Nope." Kitty said, staring after the dust trail the motorcycle had left.

The Brotherhood had been recruited to help three weeks ago. They were all split up into teams, shown a recent photograph, and sent out to search.

No one had found anything.

"Come on." Avalanche, or Lance Alvers, said. They went off to search some more, not really expecting to find anything.

*****************************************

**Luna's POV**

I sat up in the alley were I had collapsed. "Where..." I groaned and stumbled to my feet, the Earth spinning around me. I trudged to the bar and collapsed just outside, too weak with starvation to even think about leaping through the window.

I put my head down on the pavement and closed my eyes. _A good night's sleep will do me wonders. _I thought, drifting off into a dreamless void.

*********************************************

I woke up sometime the next day. I was fine, unhurt, and still lying down on the sidewalk where I had been. I forced myself to my feet, through the window, and to the counter where I curled up under my trenchcoat and fell asleep once again. There were occasional nightmares this time, and finally I couldn't sleep anymore.. I got up and started my exercises,.

_Maybe I should go back to the X-Men for help...._

_'You will do no such thing!' my military side snarled._

_But I need help._

_'NO!"_

I couldn't fight myself any longer, so I dropped the idea and focused on nothing.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Kick, punch, spin, drop.

Breathe, rip, slash, exhale.

Rage, berserker, kill, maim.

I continued for hours and hours. I wouldn't permit myself a rest of any sort, lest I receive a beating from my brutal military side. I couldn't take another one, not after the severity of last time's....

I finally dropped twenty-four hours later like a stone. I had driven myself unconscious and my body shut down to protect itself.

_A month-and-a-half... I wonder if they're still lookin' fer me..._

Almost unconsciously I sent out a mental cry for help to no one. It was the only chance I had left...

_**************************************_

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Why can't we find her?!" Logan almost shouted, slamming his fist on the table in frustration. It had been almost a month-and-a-half now. Where was the kid?

"Logan, maybe she just isn't..." Laura started to say, but Logan cut her off.

"She ain't dead, X." he said.

"Calm down, wild thing. Maybe she just doesn't want you guys to find her." Kayla said soothingly.

Logan shook his head. "But why not? Her dad left her, Kayla. I'm the only family she's got left. Why leave?"

"Maybe she doesn't think she needs a family..." Kayla said quietly.

Logan opened his mouth to say something, then shut it as the Professor entered the room.

"Cerebro's picked something up. You have to go now."

"Let's go." Logan said quickly, already half-way out the door.

_Hang on darlin'. Help is on the way. Just hold on..._

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Short chapter, I know, I'm sorry... I needed a "filler". Next one will be out as soon as I gets three reviews lol

Will Luna be alright? Will the X-Men be too late? And what about lil Celeby? How will she take her Tigey being so... starved? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

P.S. Let me know in a review/PM whether y'all want longer chapters or more frequent updates. Or if y'all are even readin' the story... lol

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	12. Stupid MedLab

Notes and Reviews:

Miz: Mmmmm... spaghetti.... lol thanks for the review! Keep 'em comin'!

Courtney Summers: lol, yay review! Here's your next chapter.

NeverWasteYourTears: You named it, now I'll try to stick with it! Lol, I'll try to start getting' those updates more frequent and the chapters a bit shorter. Thanks for the review!

Oh, and you're not stupid! I didn't know who Kayla was until I saw the Wolverine Origins movie anyways, then I went on a mega X-Men hunt! Lol, here are a couple websites that will help and also my "rundown": /universe/Silver_Fox; .org/wiki/Silver_Fox

Again, I didn't know either. Basically, she was (or is, I still don't know) Wolverine's girlfriend/lover. Her powers (according to the Wolverine movie) are/were to influence people through touch. The Wikipedia link is a lot more helpful because it explains her role in the movie at the bottom of the page. The movie is what I based her off of. Hope this helped!

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: "I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places ."

-Henny Youngman

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"She's in _here_?" Laura said incredulously. "Why?"

"Because it's the only place she felt she could go." Rogue said, stepping up to the old busted-out window. She peered inside and reported that it was too dark to see.

All three stepped inside and peered around. It was a dismal place. There was filth everywhere, crumpled up newspaper littered the floor. There was no sign of Luna.

*****************************

**Luna's POV**

There was a noise outside and I caught three scents. Mutant... X-Men....

Oh no....

I struggled to my feet and stumbled to the escape door. I pulled my trenchcoat tighter around my body and pulled my hat over my eyes. I wriggled into the piping, slid to the streets, and collapsed in an alleyway.

'_Get up!' my military side snarled. 'Get up now!'_

"I can't..." I whispered hoarsely.

I lay shivering in a muddy puddle, unable to get up, unable to fight.

******************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"She's not here." Rogue said. Logan held up a hand and inhaled deeply. He and Laura crept to the hidden door and cautiously pushed it open. They followed the scent of fear and defiance, undoubtedly Luna's, and came to the tunnel.

"None of us can get through." Laura said.

"We'll have ta go around." Logan growled.

They doubled back and Laura took point. She led them to the spot where the tunnel emptied out, and Logan stooped over the unmistakable form of Luna's shivering body.

*******************************

**Luna's POV**

_'Get up now!' the other side snarled._

I finally surged to my feet and lashed out with my claws. I caught Logan on the arm and heard an answering snarl of pain. I eyed him warily, a growl rumbling through my chest. I stopped for a fraction of a second, catching my breath.

"Luna, calm down." Logan approached slowly, hands up and nonthreatening. He touched me on the shoulder and my knees buckled. I had to grab onto his arm to keep from falling. He picked me up gently and I snuggled into his chest. I inhaled deeply and caught his unique scent of Nature, alcohol, and under it all, the unmistakable masculine scent.

"Come on..." he said quietly to Rogue and Laura. "Let's get her home."

***********************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Is that her? Did you-?"

"Yeah, it's her."

"Tigey?" a tiny voice spoke up. Everyone parted slightly and Celeby stepped forward. "Is my tigey here?"

"Yeah, kid. Yer tigey's here." Logan said and the little girl squealed and ran to see her tigey.

"What's wrong with my tigey?" she asked, her face crumpling as she saw that awful state Luna was in.

"She's just a little hurt, honey. She'll be fine. Come on, let's get you something to eat." Jean said, taking Celeby by the hand.

"No!" Celeby said, yanking her hand away. She looked again at Luna and her bottom lip quivered.

"It'll be alright sweetie." Rahne said.

"I yelled at my tigey." the girl whispered. "I yelleded at her and never said I sowwy..."

"It's O.K., hon."

A tear fell from Celeby's eyes, then another, and another, and another until the small girl was crying, the tears streaming from her cheeks.

**************************************

**Luna's POV**

I groggily woke up upon hearing the conversation and raised my head. I looked down at the heartbroken girl that was my angel and struggled out of Logan's arms. He was surprised to see me awake and I easily rolled out of his arms, landing with a soft thump in front of the little one.

She looked up, startled, and sniffled when she saw me.

"Hey Pixie." I said softly. I wrapped her in a silent hug and she clung to me, sobbing her heart out in my shoulder. I gently stroked her hair and let her cry, offering little murmurs of assurance.

She stopped seven minutes later and looked up at me. "Tigey? Whas wong wif'ou?"

I smiled at her childish, slurred speech. "I'm alright, hon." The world tilted again and I dropped to the floor suddenly. Celeby landed on top of me and I saw her concerned face.

"Tigey hungry." she pronounced and promptly scooted off to the kitchen. She returned two minutes later carrying a whole bucket of KFC chicken. "Eat." she said, setting the bucket in front of me.

"Celeby." Hank sighed, picking up the bucket and taking it away from me. "I'm afraid that Luna needs something a bit more... nutritious."

"But tigey likes chicken." Celeby said.

"Yes, but she is severely malnourished. She needs an IV, preferably now."

"K...." Celeby said. She gently took me by the hand and I stood up. She placed me in front of Logan and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Dr. Hank says that tigey hasta go to the doctor room. But my tigey can't walk. Will you take her there? Please?"

"'Course, kid." Logan said with a small smile, picking me up. I snuggled into his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Wolvie?" I said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks fer comin' after me." I said, dropping my head back into his chest. I slowly slipped into unconsciousness, spiraling down further and further.

***************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"She's unconscious Hank."

"Lay her down on the bed, Logan." Dr. Hank McCoy said, preparing an IV needle. He slowly inserted the needle into her right arm and hung the small bag of fluids above it. It started to drip fluid into her body.

"But tigey doesn't like needles." Celeby said, watching the procedure closely.

"I know, Celeby. But it is important that we get some fluids in her body in order to stabilize her. Understand?" Hank asked, leaning down to look at the younger mutant.

She nodded and watched Luna carefully. There was a slight flicker, but it soon was gone. "Tigey'll get better, right?" she asked in a scared voice.

Everyone exchanged glances and finally Storm bent down and took the girl gently by the shoulders. "Celeby.... Luna's body will heal, but there is a chance that she will not remember you, or that she will become distant and harsh. It is just a possibility, please do not be alarmed."

"Tigey might not like me anymore?"

There was a grim silence and Celeby adamantly shook her head. "Tigey never forget me."

"Let's hope." Storm said quietly.

***************************************

**Luna's POV**

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. There was a slight shift on my other side, so I slowly turned to face that side. I smiled when I saw Celeby, my Celeby, curled up into me, thumb in her mouth. I gently took it out and she gripped it in an empty fist. She gave a small sigh and turned over.

I silently got up and glanced at the clock on the stand. **8:32 A.M. **flashed at me and I rolled over to face Celeby. She opened her eyes and blinked slowly at me.

"Tigey?" she whispered tentatively. "Is it you?"

"Yeah, hon. It's me." I replied quietly. "I won't hurt ya."

Celeby snuggled into my side and soon dropped back off to sleep. I instantly felt the peace she was radiating off her and laid down for a couple more hours.

********************************************

"Tigey?" Someone was shaking me. I snapped my eyes open, sitting up and drawing my claws at the same time. Celeby looked frightened for a split-second until I sheathed them again, then she started to tug on my arm. "Come on! Hank said you can have real food now!" she announced, pulling me to the door, up the elevator, and to the kitchen.

I sat down, Celeby handed me a plate and silverware, and I started to eat. We were the only ones save Laura and Kurt.

About ten minutes later, Logan entered the room and Kurt _bamf_ed out. He sat down and looked at me, regarding me silently. I turned to him and stared right back at him. "I suppose ya wanna know what happened?" I said quietly.

Logan didn't respond, he simply nodded. I sighed and allowed Celeby to climb into my lap before telling my tale.

"Where do I start?"

"How about ya start with what the heck was runnin' through yer mind when ya jumped through that window almost two months back?" Logan growled.

Celeby immediately climbed down and scurried off into another room.

I cringed slightly at his tone and nodded. "Well, I... uh..... I just couldn't stay here, ya know? I was, and still am, afraid that I'll hurt someone... Then I heard Celeby tellin' Jean and Scott that I scared her and that she thought I would hit her and I just couldn't deal with it. You saw that Danger Room session. You saw what happened ta me after I lost it. I just don't want anyone else ta be like that robot... Then I... I killed more than ten people this past month, month-and-a-half. I couldn't put that mansion at risk, so I stayed away." I bit my lip, unsure of how to continue.

"So you stayed away ta protect the people here." Laura said and I nodded.

"Right."

"Luna, why didn't ya tell someone about all this sooner? We can help." Logan said.

"Because I don't.... like people worryin' about me. I just.... prefer ta help myself, if that makes sense. I have a hard time... trustin' people..."

Cue Celeby. "Tigey, I help you." she said, looking up at me with her beautiful crystal blue eyes.

"Sorry, hon, but..."

"No buts tigey." she said, stomping her foot and glaring up at me. "You're gonna listen to me, understand? Now tigey, I know that you've had a bad life. And I know that bad people have hurt you. But these people are the good guys. Logan and Laura and Jean and 'Roro, all of them want to help you, tigey. And I do too. We loves you tigey, you know it. Now you shape up, got it?" She glared right at me and I fought to keep the grin from my face.

"Alright, little spit-fire. I'll shape up." I said, humoring her.

She nodded. "Good. Now we gots to get you better. No Danger Room, O.K. Tigey? Promise me tigey."

I scowled and opened my mouth. "Pixie, I-"

"Tigey." she warned.

I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Fine, fine. I promise, sheesh."

"Promise what?"

"That I won't go to Danger Room sessions. Ya happy now?"

"Promise you won't fight, tigey. I no want you hurt agains."

"Fine, kid. Fine. I promise that I won't go practice in the Danger Room and that I will only enter if accompanied by an X-Men. Happy now?"

"And that you won't fight."

"And that I won't fight." I finished.

"Good. Tigey, I no want you hurt, k? You gots to get better..." she said, climbing into my lap and laying her head down. I smiled and softly began to stroke her hair. She looked up at my with those eyes and smiled.

"Hey, kid. What say you 'n' me go ta the woods?"

"No!" was her firm answer. I looked at her in shock. "The wolfsies are out there, tigey. They hurt you 'gain."

"No they won't, hon. 'Sides, I can take 'em." I said confidently.

"No, tigey. You no go to woods."

I rolled my eyes, but finally conceded. "Fine. Brat." I mumbled under my breath, my eyes flashing mischievously.

She decided to ignore that comment and instead pulled me to my bed, dragged me down to the MedLab, and put me to bed. Hank hooked me up to another IV needle and told me that I would have to stay here for the next three days so long as my healing factor worked steadily. I said I reckoned it would.

*********************************

Day One. Not too bad, a little boring. Celeby was nice enough to give me some space and I spent the day sleeping.

Day Two. Another boring day. At this rate, I'd die of boredom before I could leave. Celeby and some others visited, but they left for some mission. The Professor started working with Celeby on her invincibility. We also found out that she has some empathy capabilities.

Day Three. Bored. Bored. Bored. Hank said that hopefully I'd be out by tomorrow afternoon. I said that I hoped so, I was going starkraven mad.

Nighttime. Finally, I thought the day would never end. I snuggled into the pillows, bade(?) Celeby and the others good night, and fell asleep.

_No. No, go away._

_Sabretooth stalked through the jungle, hunting me down. I shot into a tree and watched carefully. He looked up and grinned horribly, my blood on his fangs. "Here, pretty kitty. Come ta daddy."_

_"No!" I spat. He growled and the scene changed._

_"You _will _learn respect!" Sabretooth spat, slapping me across the mouth. He followed with a quick slash across the face with his sharp claws and I couldn't help but cry out._

_"Scream fer me." he whispered menacingly and I complied as he ripped into the soft tissue of my throat. I drowned in my own blood, my lifeless eyes staring up at the man that I might have once called dad._

I sat up in bed with a screech of fear and pain. I screamed and shook. My face was wet with tears and bile rose in my throat. I sprinted to the bathroom, ripping the IV out in the process, and puked up last night, or whenever I had eaten last, dinner. I flushed it quickly, rinsed my mouth, and huddled in a corner, eyes on the door.

It crashed open three seconds later to a very angry looking Logan and Laura. Hank was right behind them and he looked a little peeved at the noise.

"What happened." Logan demanded. He spotted me huddled in the corner and approached cautiously. "Darlin'? Luna, what happened? Are ya alright?"

I put my head in my knees and sobbed as I remembered the dream. It replayed again and again and again in my mind; it wouldn't stop!

"Luna, it's alright." Logan crept closer to me and I let him. He swept me close to his chest and whispered little murmurs to me, telling me that it would be alright, that it was just a dream, that I was safe. I took a shuddering breath and was set down on the bed. Celeby crept into the room and peered at me from the side of the bed.

"Tigey? Whas happened to my tigey?"

"Nothin' kid. Go back ta sleep." Logan said.

Celeby ignored him and climbed up next to me. "Tigey, I hads a bad dweam." she said, snuggling into my soft fur.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and looked at the child cuddling into me. "What was it about?" I asked quietly. Logan shifted and pulled a chair up, Laura followed suit. Hank muttered something about needing to finish some work and left.

"There was a bad kitty-man with these really big claws, like yours. He said something and then he hit me and I think I died. That's all I bemember. It scawed me tigey." she said, shivering against me.

I froze upon hearing the dream. _She has ta be an empath, or a telepath, or _something _ta know about that..._

"Hon, have ya had dreams like that before comin' ta live here?" I asked carefully.

Celeby shook her head. "No..." she said slowly.

I nodded and looked down in thought. "Pixie, why don't ya sleep down here tonight?"

Her face lit up and she beamed. "K!" she said happily. "I sleep next ta my tigey tonight! Tigey, you no have any more bad dweams, k?"

"Alright kid. With you around, I hope not..." I said.

Logan looked like he was deep in thought, so he looked up sharply when Celeby asked the next question she did.

"Hey, Wogan? Lauwa? Will you seep wis us tonight? Pwease?" What?!

Laura glanced at Logan who gave the tiniest of nods before turning back to Celeby. "I reckon we could, darlin'.Where should we sleep exactly?"

"You can sleep hewr, and Lauwa can sleep hewr." Celeby said, pulling four chairs together, two on each side of the bed.

Laura playfully (I think) rolled her eyes and pulled another two chairs together on "her" side of the bed, making an impromptu bed for herself. I tossed her a pillow and blanket, then handed a set to Logan, who had also drawn up more chairs. I felt bad about not making room on the bed, but there wasn't any.

Celeby nodded and crawled next to me on the bed. "Night tigey." she murmured, already falling back to sleep.

"Night kid." I whispered, closing my eyes and drifting off myself. I felt oddly at peace and blamed it on Celeby's power.

I had the best sleep in months that night.

*****************************************

"Tigey? You still asweep?"

My ears twitched at the quiet voice and I sat up slowly, blinking sleep from my eyes. "'m awake." I mumbled. My mouth felt like cotton.

Celeby crawled out of bed and Logan and Laura sat up out of their 'beds', looking around quickly.

"Tigey, you were twitchin' in your seep. Did ya haves a scawy dweam?"

I lied and shook my head. "'Course not, hon." I said, giving the best grin I could at eight in the morning. I'd had flashes of missions I'd been sent on.

She looked like she didn't believe it, but let it go for now.

"Luna, I regret to inform you," Hank said as soon as he walked in, nose buried in a clipboard. "But I will require you to stay overnight, at least for tonight, though perhaps a bit longer."

I groaned and shot him a scowl. "Why?"

"I suppose that you screaming in the middle of the night has some bearing on my decision." Hank said with a wry smile. "All I need to do is find out why, and also to make sure that you are alright. Even you are not completely invincible, Luna. Your... malnourished state causes a certain stir among the students here. You have left quite a bond on us all, young Luna. We were worried about you." Hank looked sternly, though not unkindly, at me over his glasses.

"I'll be sure ta write y'all a note next time I decide ta run away." I said sarcastically, earning a hard glare from Logan.

"Ain't gonna be a next time." he growled.

I just smirked and turned back to Hank. "So," I sighed. "ya wanna know what happened last night?"

"Yes, if you are so inclined." Hank said, inclining his head to me to show that I had his full attention.

Lucky me.

"Alright," I sighed. "here we go. I had a dream about... about my... about Sabretooth." I managed to choke out.

"Was he the cat-man, tigey?" Celeby interrupted.

"Yeah. He was." I replied. "Anyways, he was chasin' me and he caught me and..." I faltered, glancing at Celeby. I chose my words carefully. "He... He, Pixie, look." I said, distracting the child long enough to draw a finger across my throat without her seeing. "And then he laughed and that's it."

"Hank looked shocked and gravely he nodded. Logan and Laura both looked enraged and murderous, and Celeby sat in blissful innocence.

"Did he hurt you too, tigey?" she asked. I nodded and she looked at me, her eyes widening in shock. "Tigey! That mean kitty-man hurted me too!Bemeber tigey? Bemeber my dweam from las' night?"

"Yeah, kid. I remember." I said quietly, rage in my tone. "Pixie, why don't you go tell the others I'm stayin' down here another night or two, so they don't go tryin' ta push me into swimmin' pools again? I'll tell ya later." I added, seeing the look of confusion on her face.

"K!" she chirped, bounding away towards the stairs.

I took a deep breath and faced my audience again.

"What was the dream about, my dear?" Hank asked gently.

"It was Sabretooth." I said quietly. "He was chasin' me through a forest and I scaled a tree ta get away from him. The scene just changed and... and he hit me, then slashed me across the face with his claws. He..." I swallowed and blinked back tears. "He tore into my throat..." I whispered, closing my eyes against the horrible images. "Like I did to those people..." I finished in a barely audible voice. A single tear made its way down my cheek and I bowed my head. After a minute, I looked up and wiped at my eyes. "Now do you see why I can't stay here? More than ten people in the past almost two months alone. That's how many people I've killed."

"Luna." Logan lifted my chin so I was looking at him and Laura both. "Ya know no one will judge ya here. You've seen 'em."

"Yeah." Laura added in. "Most of 'em don't bite."

I shook my head fiercely. "Ya don't understand!" I said. "I. Can't. Control. It."

"We'll help ya." Logan said through what sounded like gritted teeth. "How many times I gotta tell ya that?"

"Luna, I believe there's someone here to see you." the Professor said suddenly from the doorway. I hadn't noticed him come in.

I squealed (very damaging to my reputation) and jumped out of the bed, causing the machines a scare.

Kayla Silverfox stepped into the room. "Kya!" I squealed. (It's KI[like Ice cream]-uh)

"Hey Artemis." she said with a smile. I noticed the long, slender gloves that covered her hands. I always wondered why she had to wear them. Couldn't she control her power?

I bounded out of the bed and launched myself in her arms. She laughed and hugged me tight, careful not to hurt me. "What did you get yourself into now, eh?" she sighed.

"Nothin' worse than usual." I replied offhandedly.

"Exactly what I was afraid of." she sighed, smoothing my fur down with her free hand. "So how'd you meet up with this ol' Canucklehead here anyways, Artemis?" she asked, jerking her head playfully over Wolverine's direction.

I gave her the short version of my story and how I'd come to the mansion. She listened carefully, interrupting occasionally to straighten some facts out. Finally, the story was finished and Kya shook her head.

"Sounds like you've had quite the adventure." she said and I nodded.

I hopped to the ground and Celeby immediately played mother hen by dragging me back into the bed.

"Tigey stay." she said, stomping her foot a little and glaring at me, hand on her hip. I tried to keep a straight face as I watched, it was comical.

I rolled my eyes and hunkered down in the cushions. I was getting a headache anyways and the bright florescent lights weren't helping any. I shut my eyes and turned my face into the pillow, breathing deeply and evenly. I soon fell asleep, barely aware that everyone was quietly filing out of the room.

***********************************

I glanced around the dark MedLab. The clock read **7:00 A.M.** and I decided that a run around the mansion would do me good. I snuck out, took off around the entire mansion, and didn't stop until I heard a scream from the mansion. A scream that sounded suspiciously like Celeby's scream...

I dashed inside, morphing into a full tigress in my excitement.

I burst into the MedLab to see Celeby crying over the hospital bed, whispering what sounded like "My tigey, my tigey. She left me, she goed way."

"Hon, I'd never leave ya." I said, kneeling beside her, human again. She squealed and hugged me around the neck the way only a five-year-old can. "I promise ya, sweetie, I'll never leave ya. Never." I whispered in her ear, holding back the tears.

"I love you, tigey." Celeby whispered, burying her head deep into my fur.

I hesitated, then smiled. "Love ya too, kiddo. Love ya too."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Awww!! Sorry, I just _had _to end on a nice note, there aren't really a lot...

Will Luna run off again? Is she really as good as her promise? Will she break it when things get tough, (and believe me, hard times are coming in the next few chapters... You didn't get that from me), or will she be true to her word? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	13. I caused it!

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: New chapter right here! *looks around for a CPR administrator* Breathe! How will you review if you don't breathe?! lol

Miz: I like that quote, I'ma use it in this chapter, if that's alright with you. If not, then I'll find another one... Anyways, thanks for the review, I like Celeby too. Glad you like her!

ScarletBloodWolf: Aw... I sorry you're depressed :(. I'm sure your stories are good, don't worry! I didn't think I was a good writer either until I posted on here. Thanks for the reviews and the favorite, don't give up!!

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: [courtesy of Miz] "Time moves slowly like a zombie, then all of a sudden "Boo! Git your Brains! "

-Jenny Breeden

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

I walked down the stairs two days later. I was officially discharged from the MedLab yesterday, and I had clearance from Hank to be around others, if I wished.

I didn't.

So, here I am in the kitchen at two in the afternoon, avoiding everyone. They knew I was, but they didn't comment. Celeby took to playing with some of the younger mutants who would let her, so I was once again alone most of the time.

I took huge bite out of the sandwich I held and guzzled down some milk, drinking it straight from the carton. No one would know... Heh heh heh......

"Me and Amara are goin' to the mall!" Kitty called out, phasing through the front door. Rahne ran after her, calling out a quick "Me too!"

Life as usual.

I polished off my sandwich and, just for the heck of it, drank the rest of the milk. I got up and carefully made my way to my room. I no longer had my trenchcoat or hat, they had gotten left behind when I ran away. When I went back for them, they were gone.

I stared out the window, wondering if I would ever get myself under control. I shot my claws out, studying them in the light. Shiny metal, gleaming, razor-sharp tips, deadly edges....

The perfect killing weapons....

I withdrew them quickly, then flopped down on the bed on my back. I stared at the bare ceiling, then my eyes roamed around the blank walls, the standard dresser, bed, and wardrobe. The standard bathroom equipment; nothing fancy there either. Nothing fancy at all.

My clothes were all standard: jeans, tee shirts, my completely black outfit, the few outfits that Kitty and the others managed to buy for me, sneakers, my combat boots, socks (duh), and gloves.

Like I said, nothing fancy.

I sighed and put my head down on a pillow. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, searching deep into my psyche. I found my other "selves" and studied them carefully.

My "military side" was almost a carbon copy of me, only without the fur and fangs and other animalistic characteristics. She (it?) was somewhat tall and slender, with waist-length blond hair tied into a ponytail, and hazel eyes. Her (its?) mouth was curled into a sneer and she put a ruler to shame with how straight she stood. She was dressed in, wait for it, _military _attire, complete with boots and uniform. The whole enchilada.

My "animal side" on the other hand, was nearly the complete opposite. While my "military side" was precise and neat and orderly, my "animal side" was messy and unkempt. It (she?) was wild, with fur everywhere, matted and clumped together in some places. I had no doubt that it could clean up if it wanted to, but it was pretty mad at me, so it purposely left itself in a shambles. It's fur, the same pattern as mine, was sticking up everywhere, and its golden, feral eyes gleamed hungrily. It wanted blood, and it wanted it soon. It growled in feral anger and I could see its fangs gleaming. It raised its claws (the fingernail ones, not the metal ones) and slashed at the air. It wanted control, and I was denying it what it wanted.

I gasped as a sudden headache assaulted my head and my concentration broke. I tumbled out of my own head (weird, no?) and opened my eyes.

The animal was in control and my military side allowed it. I saw everything differently, smelt everything differently, even thought different thoughts than normal. Telepaths couldn't locate me, I was safe. My golden eyes glowed brightly as I stalked down the hall in search of prey, morphing into my 'natural' form. A sleek, orange Bengal tigress, capable of doing far more damage than a mere impostor human could.

_Food. Warm blood and flesh. Meat. Prey._

I stalked towards the delicious scents. _There._

A young boy, maybe fourteen (A.N. I don't know how old the "New Mutant" are, I just guestimated...) was foolishly alone in the kitchen. I grinned to myself, licking my lips in anticipation of my meal.

The boy had blonde hair and looked fairly muscular. He was busy making a triple decker sandwich and had his back turned to me, making him an easy target. I gathered my strong back leg muscles for a leap across the room. One strong leap would take him down, then a bite to the neck or throat would end him...

I let out a roar that shook the windows, then leaped. The boy... Sam dropped his sandwich on the table in surprise and put up a hand to protect himself. I grinned to myself and grabbed the arm in my mouth. I didn't bite down, yet, because I didn't want him to scream in my delicate ears. I slung him into the wall and let out a snarl, gathering for another spring.

I was blasted into the wall by a red laser and a colorful stream of light. I sprang to my feet and growled when I saw that Scott and Jubilee were the ones who had hit me. Jean stepped forward and lifted me into the air, with some effort, and I struggled fiercely. She held me there, a strained expression on her face. I went limp suddenly and she noticeably relaxed. I struggled again and broke her concentration on me. I was free!

I roared again and was slammed into the wall once more, this time by a wolf. One sniff told me it was Rahne. She snarled at me and pinned me by the scruff to the floor. I squirmed and wriggled, snarling horribly, but her grasp was firm. She would not let go.

My tail lashed around and an idea formed in my head. I quickly lashed it around her legs, causing her to overbalance and fall onto her snout. I batted her aside and leaped into the air towards Sam...

...and was smashed into _again_, this time through a window.

"Luna! What is _wrong _with you?" a familiar voice yelled.

Laura.... I growled and spun around. _There. _She was standing beside Logan. Four sets of claws were popped, six on Logan, three on Laura. I snarled once more and leaped at the pair, claws first.

_Blood. Spill their blood. Must have it!_

Claws clashed and blood ran. Wounds knitted together, snarls were exchanged. I weaved around blow after blow, stab after stab, getting hurt and also hurting. I slashed at Logan's face, catching him across the jaw and he roared in fury, slashing me across the chest. I stopped dead in my tracks, eyes wide and chest heaving. I couldn't get air.... I couldn't breath....

I dropped to my knees and unwillingly transformed back human. I growled ferally, unwilling to let go of my tigress form.

_Must have meat. Must... leave..._

My thoughts grew hazy and I felt my chest. Sticky, red blood coated my entire hand as I lifted it away. There were three huge gashes in my chest and chunks of stringy flesh clung to my fingers . I wiped my fingers off on my jeans and my healing factor began sealing up my injuries. I stood, staggered a bit, then caught my footing. I shakily transformed _back _into my "natural" form and staggered into the kitchen. I brought my paw up to slash at Sam, who was huddled in the kitchen. His eyes widened at the sight of it and he opened his mouth, probably to scream. Another friggin' blast hit me from behind and I flipped into _another _stupid wall. Scott of course was the culprit, but after fighting Logan and Laura I didn't have the strength to go after him. I was slowly losing control... Slipping into the weakling's control... The nine-year-old was taking back control...

I fought for control and finally the beast succumbed to me. I gained control and dropped to my knees, human once more, and curled into a ball. My chest was still bleeding and I was slightly sizzling from Scott's blast.

My healing factor kicked in and my chest once more started to knit together. The burns took care of themselves in a matter of minutes. Fifteen minutes later, my chest was good to go. I stood up and looked around. I was completely encircled and Sam was on the floor at my feet. There were some superficial scratches, but nothing serious. He stood up after a little bit and joined the others in a circle around me. They all looked 'powered-up' and Scott had one hand on his visor. Alex's hands were glowing golden and Rouge had a glove off. They all looked tensed and prepared for the slightest movement.

I slowly shifted into a better position, a nonthreatening one, and raised my hands. "It's me now." I said. "Just me."

_'For now..._'

I ignored the growled threat and dropped into a chair. Concerned faces flickered around me and I looked in concern at Sam. "I'm sorry." I said softly. "If I hurt you."

"Hey, it's alright. We all make mistakes. Don't sweat it." he said, trying to be nice.

_Yes, but we're not all mistakes. Just me. I am what they made me to be, nothing more, nothing less. My father didn't want me, and my mother died before knowing me._

I stood up again and staggered to my room. They let me pass.

I opened the door to my room and glanced at the clock, which read sometime after eleven at night. I stared out the window, at the dim stars and the darkened sky. There was a half moon out and some wispy clouds drifting around. I sat on my bed and watched the door. I knew that Logan would want to talk. He would be at my door at any minute...

Cue Logan five minutes later. There was a rough knock on my door and I said come in. He opened it and shut it behind him.

"Now you know." I said tiredly. "Now you see."

"Luna..." he started, but I cut him off.

"No, Logan. No more of this 'we'll help ya' bullsh-crap." I hastily corrected myself at his look. "Ya _can't _help me. You've seen it, everyone's seen it. But at the same time..." I continued, musing to myself, "I want ta stay." I looked at Logan with pleading eyes, vulnerable for the first time that night.

"I know ya do, darlin'. We'll find a place fer ya here. Ya know that, I know ya do. Now, hows about ya tell me what all that was about?"

"My Tigress..." I whispered, my throat catching slightly. "It's placid right now, but by tomorrow it'll want control again. My military side will too and they'll join together ta get it."

"Ya know yer not alone, right? Ya ain't the only one with an animal locked up." I nodded to show that I knew this and Logan continued. "Well, then why do you haveta fight me on this? Ya know I can help ya and ya know that Laura can help ya with yer "military side", hell, even Charles said he'd go into yer mind and-"

"_No one _goes into my head!" I snarled, leaping off the bed in fury. I bristled at the very thought of the intrusion.

"I know that, Luna. I wouldn't let anyone in and Chuck's got some kind of honor code that prevents him from enterin' 'thout permission anyways. Don't worry 'bout it. Now get back here."

I edged back to the bed and sat beside Logan again. My mind felt clearly than it had in a long while and I curled into Logan's chest peacefully. "Sorry." I muttered. "Just a bit jumpy... 's'all...." I mumbled sleepily.

Logan lifted my head up and I looked him in the eyes, unafraid. "Don't be afraid here, ya got me? Anyone here gives ya any problems, ya tell me, got it?"

"I can take care of myself." I said, still looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah. Exactly what I'm afraid of..." he murmured and I finally looked away. I never could win a staring match against him...

I curled up and he set me gently on the bed. I wriggled into the covers and snuggled down into the pillow. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft footsteps dying away before finally falling asleep.

I dimly wondered what everyone would tell little Celeby when she asked....

Oh, well.... I'd find out tomorrow. Right now I was gonna get some sleep.

Yeah, about six hours of it....

******************************************

_Claws. Blood. Fangs. Pleads. And then.... the stench of Death...._

_Tigress has struck again...._

_******************************************_

I sat up in bed with a short yelp. I could dimly hear a scream and then sobbing two doors down.

_Celeby..._

I flat-out _ran _to the room and threw it open. Jubilee was standing over Celeby, trying to calm her down. It didn't look like anyone else was there yet. I ran over to the bed and scooped Celeby up, holding her close to my chest. I sat down on the bed and murmured little phrases in her ear. "It'll be alright... You'll be fine... It's all over now...."

Jubilee stared at me and watched as the girl calmed down. She opened her eyes and sniffled. "T...Tigey?" she whispered.

"Hey, Pixie." I said softly and with another sob she buried her face in my neck.

"It was howwible, tigey! The mean kitty-man was back, I think. He twied ta huwt me...." Celeby howled and I looked guiltily down at her.

"I know, pun'kin. I know." I whispered. "Now, you be good and go ta sleep, alright? Jubes'll keep ya comp'ny, right Jubes?" I said, flashing her a pleading look.

"'Course I will." Jubilee said, taking Celeby gently from me.

"But tigey, where you goin'?"

"I... uh... I gotta go do somethin'...." I mumbled, darting out the door quickly. I trotted to the Rec Room and flipped the T.V. on. I turned the volume down to five and fixed the channel onto some scary movie and watched it, forcing myself awake. I'd seen scarier stuff than this, it didn't bother me.

*********************************************

I walked into the kitchen the next morning at about seven-thirty and surveyed the room. Even at this hour, most of the sleepy inhabitants were awake and eating their assorted breakfasts.

I yawned and grabbed a bowl, pouring some Lucky Charms and milk in it and grabbing a spoon. I dug in, eating standing up. I washed my bowl out after literally scarfing the cereal down and then had a seat. Everyone else was still eating.

"Tigey, where you go las' night?"

"Don't worry 'bout it Pixie." I said, flashing her a small smile. It wasn't very convincing and Celeby pressed the issue.

"But tigey, you jus' left! I hads a nightmare and you lefted me tigey!" she practically screamed at me, standing up and throwing her spoon at me. She had had enough, apparently.

I dodged the spoon and watched as Celeby stood up and ran straight at me, swinging her tiny fists. She flickered to invisibility and I felt a small fist strike my legs.

"Ow, quit it Celeby!" I said, holding completely still so as not to hurt the invisible mutant. I felt another fist land on my thigh and quickly grabbed it.

Celeby shimmered into view. She glared angrily at me, tears coursing down her cheeks. Angry tears.

"Let me go tigey!" she screamed.

"No." I growled, yanking her closer and grabbing her other hand. Everyone watched the scene unfold before them.

"Luna let me go!!"

I almost let her go in shock. She had never called me Luna before. It had always been tigey...

For some unexplainable reason, it hurt when she called me Luna instead of tigey.

I sucked in a painful breath and looked at Celeby. "Now why would I do that, hon?" I said softly, pulling her even closer. She continued to fight me, supposedly oblivious to the effect her words had had on me.

"Because you don't care about me! You never have and las' night pwoved it! You can't just _leave _someone in the middle of a scawy dweam, 'specially one wit' that mean kitty in it! I was _scawed _and you lefted!" Celeby's bottom lip quivered as she finally fell limp and allowed me to cuddle her.

I stared down at her in shock. "Ya really think I don't care about ya? Pixie, I'm the one who got ya here! _How _could ya think I don't care about ya? And as fer last night...." I bit my lip and took a deep breath.

Celeby glared at me. "Well?" she demanded, tapping her foot impatiently. "What 'bout las' night?"

"Pixie, the reason I left last night was because..._ I'm the one that caused that bad dream!"_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dun, dun, dun!!!

Luna caused the bad dream? How? Why? Will Celeby ever forgive her 'tigey'? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	14. ByeBye

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: New chapter comin' atcha! Lol, love your reviews, keep 'em comin'!

Zitikka: New reviewer! Much rejoicing! Lol, glad you found time to review, here's more!

Miz: That link would be awesome! You're publishing a book? That's awesome! I'll use that quote, it sounds really good! Thanks again!

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote: [courtesy of Miz] "I wish I had something in common with myselves, it would make this whole sharing a body thing much easier..."

-Misery DeSoul

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"Wh-What?" Celeby looked confused and shocked. "What ya mean?"

"Celeby, when I rescued ya that night in the rain, I think that ya linked with me. I think that ya set up a permanent bond of sorts the moment ya trusted me enough ta protect me. _That's _why you've been havin' those nightmares. Pixie, they're _my _nightmares. They are dreams that _I've _been havin'. I think you've been pickin' 'em up through whatever bond we have. And also, since yer an empath ta boot, that seems ta make 'em doubly strong..." I mused, starting to pace back and forth.

"So.... That mean kitty...."

I hissed and took a deep breath. "His name's Sabretooth." Celeby nodded. "He's.... he's my father..." I said quietly, my hands tightening into fists at my sides.

"That mean kitty is your daddy, tigey?"

At least I was back in her good graces. "Yeah. He is." I said. "Remember that night in the Infirmary, Pixie? That night when ya asked where my mama was?"

Celeby nodded. "Yeah." she whispered.

"Remember when I told ya that she was dead? Remember?"

"Yeah." She whispered softly once again, crawling into my lap when I sat in a chair.

"Well," I licked my dry lips and took a deep breath. "Sabretooth... He... He...." I couldn't get the words out. I was dealing with emotions that had been suppressed for so long...

"Tigey? Did Sabewrtoof huwt her? Did he... kill your mama?"

I nodded. _I will not cry. I will not!_

"Tigey?"

I looked up, my face void of all emotion.

"Do you ever think I'll find my mama?"

"Yeah. And I'm gonna help ya find her."

"We all will." Kitty piped up and I nodded to her gratefully.

"Yeah." I said. "We all will."

"Thank you." Celeby said softly, laying her head on my chest with a smile.

I absently rocked her back and forth, lost in thoughts. How would we find her mom? How would we find Paige Bertha Jameson?

"Professor? Do ya think you could track down her mom? With Cerebro?"

The Professor nodded. "I believe I could, Rahne. But first, we must discuss..."

The Professor blathered on about some garbage that didn't concern me or the kid and I tuned him out. I rocked Celeby and thought about how I'd find her mom.

"Now, Luna, if you and Celeby will follow me."

I jolted to attention when I heard the Professor speaking to me. I stood up and set Celeby on the ground and we both followed the Professor into the Cerebro Room or what ever it's called.

"Don't talk." I whispered to Celeby and she nodded. The Professor did his telepathy thing and finally lifted the helmet from his head.

"Well?" Celeby said impatiently.

"She is currently living in Burlington, Vermont. 6670 Keller Place."

I nodded and strode out of the room, Celeby close behind. The Professor stopped me.

"Luna, please get someone to take you in the Blackbird."

I nodded and again we hurried along. I came across Logan first and grabbed him. "We're goin' ta Vermont." I informed him. We entered the hangar and Logan strapped himself into the cockpit. I strapped Celeby in and then sat beside her and did my own seatbelt. "Ready." I called and we were off.

*********************************************

"Now, hon, when we get there ya let me do the talkin', got it?"

"K." Celeby chirped.

"Good." We landed and I undid both our seatbelts. I marched with Logan to the house. It was an ugly yellow color with the cliché white picket fence around the cliché manicured flower bed and trimmed yard. I rolled my eyes and Logan knocked on the door. It opened to a middle-aged woman with strawberry-blond hair and blue-green eyes. Her hair was pulled into a bonnet- a _bonnet!_- and she had a kind smile on her face.

She screamed when she saw me. We calmed her down, my pride was hurt but I got over it, and she invited us into the house.

We made small talk. Ms. Jameson didn't look at Celeby and I noticed Celeby's hurt lok. I let her crawl into my lap and stroked her hair gently, whispering in her ear that her mom would come around.

"So, ya see Ms. Jameson, this is yer daughter." Logan said finally, glaring at me, daring me to speak. I said nothing after the initial telling of how I'd found her outside the mansion's gates..

"No, no, no. That can't be. My daughter was sent to Summer Camp and hasn't been heard about since."

"Bull." I said, standing up. I'd had enough of this woman and her excuses. "This is yer daughter. Her name is Celeby Piper Jameson. She is yer daughter and I can get a DNA test ta prove it." I leveled my stare at the woman and she fidgeted nervously.

"Well.... I didn't know!" she sobbed, bursting into tears suddenly. "The... The... The MRD officers said that they would t-t-take her somewhere s-s-safe and take care of her. I had n-n-no idea that they would hurt her! Please, you have to believe me!" She started to wring her hands and looked at us with frightened eyes.

"It's just been so hard since David died. I couldn't juggle hiding her from the public, working three jobs, and paying the bills all while trying to feed her and myself. The MRD and FoH both said that they would protect her. I didn't know that they were lying!" she sobbed.

Celeby slid from my lap and stood in front of her mother. "It's O.K. mama. I believe you." she said quietly, putting a small hand on her mother's face.

The woman smiled and looked into Celeby's eyes. "I'm so sorry, baby." she said.

I stood up and stood next to Celeby, hovering protectively. I would take a bullet for this kid and there was no telling what this woman would do. "Mama won't huwt me, tigey." Celeby said.

"She has once already." I growled, looking coldly at the woman.

"But, tigey, she said she sowwy. She love me, tigey." Celeby said.

This kid was too damn trusting, that was the problem. "Pixie, she's already left ya once. How do I know she won't do it again?"

"Those bad men really, really huwt ya, didn't they tigey?"

"Yes, dammit, yes!" I shouted suddenly. "Why do ya haveta bring that up so damn much?!"

Celeby looked up at me, unafraid. "Because, tigey, I love you and I never huwt you. You twust me, tigey." she said, proving it by leaping into my arms.

I caught her on reflex and saw that she had a knife. "Celeby, what are ya doin' with that knife?" I said in panic, tightening my control and readying my reflexes.

"Do ya twust me, tigey?" Celeby asked quietly.

I thought hard and finally nodded. "With my life, kid. Ya know that."

"So, you twust me not ta do... this?" she said, suddenly turning invisible. I couldn't see her or the knife. "You twust me enough ta hold me with this knife, not be able to see me, and me not to huwt you?"

"'Course." I said warily.

"So, if I were to..." she turned visible again, "do this," she acted like she was going to stick the knife in my arm and I didn't flinch, "then you would still twust me?"

"Pixie, what does all this have ta do with yer mama?"

"'Cause I twust her, tigey. I want you to too." Celeby said, dropping the knife and hugging me tight around the neck.

I squeezed her back and took a breath. "Alright." I said, setting her down. "But I will be back. And if she ain't fed and cared fer and happy," I warned, looking straight at Celeby's mother, "yer gonna regret it." I said. Celeby grinned and whispered "Bye-bye tigey." and then Logan and I were gone. I didn't know how she had come up with that plan, and I didn't want to know. The last thing I saw before getting on the "X-Jet" and flying home was Paige holding my angel in her arms, both of them waving, both of them smiling and holding onto each other, afraid to let go.

******************************************

I tail and ears drooped as I picked at my food that night at dinner.

_'So she left, big deal.' My military side hissed._

_My animal side growled and I tuned them both out._

Celeby had given me peace, whether from her powers or not. She had shown me love, caring, and understanding.

My angel had flown away...

******************************************

_My ears pricked up and my nose twitched, warning me of something. I stopped and my hackles rose. I growled way low in my throat. Even in my dreams, I knew that scent..._

_Fury..._

_S.H.E.I.L.D had come to take me back._

_Sure enough, Fury soon came striding out of the shadows with a couple hundred or so men behind him. He casually flipped his toothpick out of his mouth and looked at me._

_"Weapon X-26. How nice to see you again." he said._

_"That's not my name!" I snarled and the scene changed._

_Hundreds dead, lifeless. Their blood on my claws, their guts spilled before my feet. I laughed manically, screaming to the air "Ya see, Celeby?! Ya see what happens when someone I care about leaves me?! I hurt people..."_

_Celeby looked at me, eyes wide and full of understanding. "I sowwy, tigey!" she screamed, launching herself into my arms. I gasped in horror as she skewered herself on my unsheathed claws._

_"NOOOO!!!!" I screamed._

"CELEBYYYYYYY!!!!!!" I screamed as I bolted up in my bed. There were tears on my face and gashes on my face, arms, legs, and stomach. The sheets were completely torn to ribbons and the door looked like a chainsaw had cut through it. The door was Logan's doing; I had locked it last night.

I fell into his arms the moment he sat on the bed. I sobbed in his arms, some of my blood seeping through onto his shirt. He held me close, calming me down and stroking my fur. I sucked in a deep breath and stopped with effort. I clung to his shirt for a moment longer before releasing him and wiping my eyes.

I surveyed the damage done to my bed and saw deep gouges in the beautiful carved wooden headboard. The sheets were completely shredded. My nightclothes were also little more than ribbons, barely clinging to my body; my fur was in complete disarray.

I got to my feet and swayed gently, watching as some of the X-Men who had heard my rather loud scream gather in the room. The watched me watch them and then Kitty spoke.

"Like, are you O.K. Luna?"

"I'm fine..." I said, shaking my head slightly. I put my hands to my head as the headache built in my brain, sending a bright white light to my eyes. I couldn't see anything save the light and I shakily sat on the floor, my head on my knees. The pain built until it was intolerable and I screamed as it built in my head. I was shaking and all I knew was the pain in my head. All I cared about was the pain in my head. All I wanted to do was get rid of the pain in my head.

"Luna!" I heard a voice, but couldn't identify it. The pain was starting to ebb away and I slowly raised my head. The Professor was above me, hand out to help me up and face worried. I accepted his help and stood in front of him, shaking as I stood. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so..." I said, putting a hand to my forehead. The pain was gone, in its place the nightmare resurfaced.

"Luna, what happened?"

"Just a dream." I said, sitting on the bed.

"Helluva dream." Bobby whispered and I smiled slightly.

The Professor ignored him and maneuvered until he was right in front of me. He took my hand in his and looked at me with a kind smile on his face. "Are you sure you're alright?" he inquired.

"Yeah, Professor, I'm fine. I'll be O.K." I said.

"It's about Celeby, isn't it?" Jean asked, stepping forward.

I was too tired to be angry. "Yeah...." I said. "And... There's somethin' else..." I looked at Logan and Lara, then flickered my gaze to the floor. "I dreamed that S.H.E.I.L.D had come ta take me back..."

"They wouldn't get through the front door." Logan growled.

"I know, but still.... It's..... It's just scary, ya know? I mean, what if they _do _manage ta get me back? What if I slip up and they catch me? Then what?"

"Then we'd find ya and bring yer butt back here." Laura said.

"I _know _that." I said. "I guess I... Never mind.... Good night." I said. I went into my over-sized walk in closet and dress in some different nightclothes. I came out to everyone still there. I sighed and simply crawled into my shredded bed, curled up, and pretended to fall asleep.

One by one everyone left. Finally, only Logan was left. He laid down on the bed and gathered me in his arms. "Hey, look at me." he whispered softly.

I shifted so I was looking him in the eye. "Hmmm?"

"Ya know S.H.I.E.L.D ain't gonna getcha. Ya know that Fury wouldn't get halfway through the front yard."

I nodded and snuggled deeper into his embrace. "It's just so hard, Wolvie." I sobbed, letting my guard down just around him. "First my mom, then my dad, and now Celeby. It's almost like it'd be easier not ta care fer anyone." I said, sniffling a little and wiping at my eyes.

"I know, darlin'. I know." he said, rubbing my back somewhat awkwardly. "Remember, though, I'm here fer ya. Laura's here fer ya, and so are the others. We'll all help ya, darlin', don't ferget that. Now, come on. Let's go ta sleep." He scooped me up and carried me next door to his room.

I breathed in the Nature scent on his body and buried my face in his chest. He was so warm and it had been a hard night. He set me down on his bed and moved to go lay down on the couch. I grabbed his arm fearfully and looked at him with the innocent, scared look of a nine year old who'd had a scary dream. "Don't leave me, Wolvie. Please... Don't...."

He didn't say anything; he simply laid down on top of the covers and gathered me to his chest. I inhaled his scent again and it lulled me to sleep, chasing away all the bad dreams.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short chapter, I know, I know...

Awwww... A tender Logan/Luna moment! I'm tryin' to figure out how and if I should add a Laura/Luna moment.... Any ideas?

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	15. My Stuff

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: lols, Luna/Laura moment ahead! Keep on reviewin'!

Miz: I almost made you cry?! . -mumbles- I wouldn't trust Celeby's mom.... -cough cough- Anyways... um, the link wouldn't work...

narnia-aslan: Celeby.... _might _be back, I can't give too much away...

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

Random quote:

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

Morning. The sun tried to peek into the room, but the drawn curtains held it back. I stretched and swung my legs out of the bed. Logan was already up, so I knew that I was late. There was a note on his pillow.

_Hey kid,_

_Didn't wanna wake ya after what happened last night. Don't worry about the time, no one's gonna bother ya. There's a change of clothes on the chair. DO NOT go into your room, Professor's orders._ (I made a face at that.) _Sleep in if ya want, if not Danger Room session is in an hour. See ya there, maybe._

_-Logan_

I skimmed through the note and thought over my options. On the one hand, I could actually sleep in. On the other, since when did I pass up a training exercise?

I hopped out of the bed, neatly made it, and quickly changed into my clothes. I tossed the nightclothes in my room quickly, then made a dash for the Danger Room.

I made it just in time; the doors were beginning to close. I got ready and the room whirled around.

"What is our objective?" I asked Sco- er... Cyclops.

"Defeat all the enemies and capture your team's flag. You can be on Shadowcat's team."

I nodded and made my way over to Ki- Shadowcat's team. X-23 (Laura), and Wolfsbane were on the team also.

"There will be some... obstacles along the way." Storm said over the loudspeaker. To prove her point, lightning started to crackle around the room and thunder filled the air. At least it wasn't raini-

Spoke too soon. A downpour started and the floor suddenly opened to uncover a boiling pit of... tye-dye paint?

"So, what? Yer tryin' ta make us hippies?" I said sarcastically, leaping to safety on a jungle-gym like contraption on the ceiling.

I was ignored. "You must make it to your own flag. You start now." Storm said and the... uh storm stopped.

"Alright, so, like, how are we suppose to get over there?" Shdadowcat asked asked from her hold on the "monkey bars". Wolfsbane was balanced precariously on a metal railing, and A-23 was hanging upside-down on some bars.

"That way." I said, pointing to the quickest and safest path to our team's flag.

X-23 nodded. "Yes. The bars will provide some stealth as well as a means of getting over there."

"And then, once we cross there," I pointed to a series of criss-crossing bars that were near impossible to get around. "Shadowcat can-"

"Phase through them and-" X-23 continued.

"Help us across." I finished. Wolfsbane seemed to be considering our somewhat crazy plan.

"It could work." she finally said. "Let's go."

I led the way with Laura towards the point and Shadowcat phased us all through. We ran like wildfire...

...until Shadowcat slipped. I heard a yelp and saw her plunge down. "Keep going!" I called to X-23, then dived down.

Shadowcat screeched like a banshee when she saw me hurtling towards her. I grabbed her shirt in one hand, then popped the claws on my other. I swung them at some metal bars and winced at the screeching and sparks that flew across my face. We slowed down enough to where I could swing her onto some piping, then I swung myself up. "Come on!" I shouted, already taking off after the others.

"Oh, don't worry about me! Nope, I just, like, almost fell to my paint-based death! I'm completely fine!" Shadowcat said sarcastically, hurrying to catch up with me.

We hurried ahead and saw that the others had already made it.

And so had the other team. They were doing some weird victory dance on their side of the field, while my team just looked dejected.

Laura looked furious, Rahne just looked sad, Kitty looked guilty, and I was just ticked. I almost swung around and started to yell at her and give her a piece of my mind until the Professor's voice rang through the room.

"Alright, everyone, You are free to go. Luna, please meet me in my office."

I growled in annoyance and stalked off to his office. I knocked and then barged in. "Yes?" I said, barely keeping the hiss from my voice.

"Luna, sit down. Please. Now, about your performance today in the Danger Room."

My mind immediately began to panic. _Oh no, oh no, oh no! He's gonna throw me out! Aw man!_

"What you did today was incredibly brave and selfless."

Huh?

"You could have let Kitty fall and instead go with the rest of your team and therefore win, but you chose to aid Kitty, possibly preventing her from further harm." The Professor looked closely at me while he said this and I stared steadily back.

"Yeah..." I said, my eyes lighting up as I thought of the possibilities. "Hey, yer right! That means that... maybe I can control them! Maybe they can't control me anymore!"

"Do not get too cocky, Luna. Your other sides are still very strong. They may just be biding their time."

"Yeah, yer right." I said dejectedly. "I'll see ya around, Professor." I said, heading out the door.

I went to my room. I locked the door and sat on some pillows, closed my eyes, and concentrated on my meditation.

_Breath in, breath out. Focus on nothing. Clear your mind. Feel your spirit fly away from Earthly troubles._

I stayed like that for a while, feeling myself calm and my breathing slow. _Inhale. Exhale. Be slow to anger, but quick to protect._

I came out of my trance about an hour later. I felt... lighter somehow, as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I walked down to the living room (the main one with the giant plasma screen T.V.) and was just passing through when I suddenly heard:

_**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! **_

_**Turtles count it off!  
One, Two, Three, Four! **_

_**Turtles!  
Mutant chain reaction **_

_**Turtles!  
Livin' underground **_

_**Turtles!  
Ninjitsu action **_

_**Turtles!  
It's a shell of a town! **_

_**Turtles count it off! **_

_**One! Live by the code of the martial arts **_

_**Two! Never fight unless someone else starts **_

_**Three! Always stick together no matter what **_

_**Four! If all else fails then it's time to KICK BUTT! **_

_**I love bein' (I love bein')  
I love bein' a Turtle! **_

_**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! **_

_**Turtles count it off!  
One, Two, Three, Four! **_

_**Turtles!  
There's no one better **_

_**Turtles!  
(Shredder) "Watch out for Shredder!" **_

_**Turtles!  
They're like no others **_

_**Turtles!  
Those teenage brothers **_

_**One, Two, Three, Four! **_

_**One, Two, Three, Four! **_

_**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! **_

"No. Way." I breathed, backtracking back into the living room.

Yes way. TMNT was actually on! I squealed and launched myself onto the couch, narrowly missing Jamie in my dive.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Sorry." I said, then shushed him as the show came on. The episode title flashed on the screen: "The Shredder Strikes Back, Part One" and I watched in fascination as Leonardo battled hundreds of Foot Ninjas. (Listen to me, I sound like a total nerd... Oh well, ou tell anyone and I'll deny it... Then track you down...)

"Go for a left! YES!" I said and it was Jamie's turn to shush me.

"Sorry." I said again and turned back to the screen. I sat through the episode "The Shredder Strikes Back, Part Two" and about came off the couch when Leo was tossed through the window. "NO!" I shouted unintentionally. I perched back on the couch, crouched and waiting, anxiously watching and waiting.

"Come on, Leo. Get up." I whispered, willing him with my eyes to get up.

"He can't hear you." Jamie said and I shushed him again. He grinned and turned his attention back to the T.V.

The next episode, "Tales of Leo", came on, and then the next, "The Monster Hunter".

"**I don't need to hear about how I messed up in New York, O.K.? I got my shell kicked, I let everyone down. I lost my swords!"**

I nodded in agreement with Leo and got this really goofy grin when Raph said that he would help his bro forge some new swords. Jamie had one on his face too and he wordlessly handed me some popcorn. I took it and chowed down, watching as Leonardo slowly got stronger. We both laughed as Mikey, Donny, and Casey Jones tricked Abigail Finn and also at Master Splinter and April's conversation.

The show ended and got up with a stretch, turned around....

… and ran smack-dab into Bobby. I caught my balance and eyed his amused smirk. "What?" I said indignantly.

"Nothin'." he said casually. His eyes roved back to the television and I saw his smirk widen, if that was possible. Jamie had clicked the T.V. off and was standing next to me. "What's the holdup?" he said.

"Bobby won't move." I said, noticing how he oh-so-carefully _blocked _the doorway.

Jamie looked at him. "What's up Bobby?" he said.

"Bobby, what's the big idea?" I growled, trying to push past. He stood steady though, and I stopped.

"Ninja turtles? Really?" he said, then ran away laughing as I shrieked bloody murder and chased after him.

"If you tell anyone you are so dead, ice butt!" I screamed. So I was a little... eccentric.... I haven't shown you my... ahem... room yet.... Talk about TMNT overload... heh heh heh...

"Only if you can catch me!" he yelled over his shoulder. Jamie appeared next to me, then on the other side of me, then behind me, then in front of me, then _surrounding_ me...

"I'll take the left, you cover the right!" he... they... whatever, they all shouted at once.

"Gotcha!" I said, veering off slightly. I prowled down the hallway, catching the Ice_boy's _scent and following it. The dufus went up to the roof... How interesting...

We all burst up to the roof and Jamie.... pulled himself back together. We crept along, keping quiet until...

"BOO! Gotcha!" Bobby said, leaping out and scaring... Jamie, not me. Jamie jumped a foot in the air and multiplied into a hundred Jamies. Bobby fell down laughing and I picked him up (with a LOT of effort) and, grinning the whole way, dumped his chilly butt in the pool. From the roof. Straight down. Talk about a big splash.

"Oops." I said sarcastically. "Did I do that?" I slapped hands with Jamie and we went back inside. I went to my room and pulled out my most prized possessions _ever_. Limited edition TMNT _real _weapons and masks. All four of them, all the weapons (and that included Shurikens [throwing stars], I had ALL the weapons), even Master Splinter's walking stick, which I hardly ever used. I also had several cheap knock-offs, to train with, and I never used the real ones. They were only brought out for cleaning and showing-off purposes _only_.

I pulled out the nunchakus and bo staff, whirling them each around for a bit and working with them. The double kantanas came out next and I sparred against an imaginary foe. Then the double sai were handled and finally the masks were brought out. I tied them on, one by one. Blue, red, purple, and finally orange.

I put everything carefully away, then picked up my "fake" weapons. I set out for the Danger Room, sticking to the shadows. I entered and set it for a sparring match (they control everything here!) and selected three enemies to start with. I pulled out my bo staff and swung it, throwing Shurikens left and right.

Thirty minutes later later, the nunchakus were brought out. I practiced for half an hour with those, then the double sai, then the double kantanas, always watching my footwork and utilizing several flips and different martial arts styles I had been taught.

The simulation shut down after two hours like I'd set it to do and I sheathed my blades. I turned to walk out, until I became aware of a presence in the room.... No, two....

I groaned. "Logan, Laura. I know you two are here."

They stepped out of the shadows and walked over. Logan had some sort of vaguely impressed expression on his face, Laura had a tiny smile on hers, like she was trying to hide it.

"Not too shabby." Laura said. "Want a _real _match?" she asked, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

I shrugged. "Why not. What weapon ya want?"

She thought it over, then picked out the sai. I handed them over and whipped out my kantanas, setting everything else in a corner out of the way. We faced each other and got into position.

"Go!"

The command was hardly spoken before Laura leaped at me. We both had our shoes off and I had on my black, skin-tight outfit. My tail whipped around and I did a back hand-spring to dodge, then flipped into the air, landed behind her, and swung. She moved out of the way, got in front of me, and spun her blades. One, two, three times they struck my swords and I thought back to the show I had just watched. One leap, flip, land, swing. Clash.

We were still going at it when the rest of the team showed up to practice. I estimated that we had been fighting for the past.... two hours, maybe? I deflected her shot and parried with some moves of my own. I kicked her in the chest and she fell, flipped to her feet, and stood up, tossing a _hard _kick at my ribs. I grunted as her foot connected and I felt something small go _pop_.

I ignored it and everyone else, focusing only on Laura. Swing, clash, kick, roll. Deflect, swing, flip, jab.

Finally, someone called stop and our dance ended. Laura tossed the sai back to me and I caught them both, sheathed my kantanas and sai, and picked up the rest of my weapons. They went hurriedly back to my room and back to the Danger Room I went. No one had moved.

"Yer not too bad." Laura said.

"Thanks. Yer pretty good yerslf." I said with a grin.

"What was that?" Scott asked, stepping up to us.

"Trainin'." I said casually.

"With _swords_?! You are not allowed to have weapons in this house. You _both _know that."

"Hey, back off Scott! (I don't know why, but I was... uneasy with calling him Summers... at least to his face...) We were just trainin' with 'em, not hurtin' the students. They're put up where no one can get 'em, and besides, they're _mine _. I ain't givin' 'em up fer nothin'."

Scott opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, but instead he closed it and just stomped off toward the other team members. I rolled my eyes and stalked out of the room.

When I got back to my room, I walked over to my closet, where I had put my weapons.

I screamed. Loudly.

They were all gone.

************************************

O.K., O.K., I lied. Jamie had "borrowed" them. I smacked him on the back of the head when I found this out and told him that if I ever caught him with my stuff again, he would be tiger chow. He never touched my stuff without my permission again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short chapter, I know, I know...

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	16. Captured

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: lol, glad you liked the Bobby bit! Yeah, I'm all better from the flu, hope you get better too. Thanks as always for the review.

Miz: YAY!! TMNT lovers unite! Lol, O.K., enough of me being an idiot... Your cat sounds like mine... Every time I read something on this site and laugh, I swear he rolls his eyes! It's hilarious! Thanks for the review!

BlueIsMyColor: Thanks for the review! I love new reviewers! (I love my veteran reviewers, too! Don't be mad guys!!) Anyways, thanks for the compliment, glad you like Luna and her.... "mild" obsession.

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

**UPDATE!!!!!** I've decided that there will be a total of... around 30 chappies! So, only..... 4 (I think) more to go!!

Oh, and there is also a poll on my profile. Vote please!!

Random quote: I'm done takin' orders!

-Raphael (TMNT)

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

The rest of the week passed without too much really going on. The Professor said that I may keep my weapons "so long as I do not use them to harm other students", as if I didn't already know this.

I stretched and ran down to the kitchen for some dinner, sliding down toe banister and jumping over the railing to the main floor. I smelled pizza and I was not gonna get served last!

Bobby grabbed a slice and I got one after him. I ate my pizza and then escaped back to my room.

Laura was out on some _big mission _with Logan, Scott, Jean, the Professor, and Storm, so I was stuck inside. I stretched and stayed in my room until the next morning. I ventured out...

… and was immediately informed that in exactly one week we would be getting a new student. Joy, somebody shoot me.

"Sugah? Y'all alright there, shug?" Rogue asked as I came down the stairs.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just doin' a little thinkin'." I said distractedly. I turned to the window and plopped in a chair.

"Y'all wanna talk about, shug?"

"I just.... Why haven't I gone on a mission yet? I mean, haven't I proved myself yet? Do they think I'm too.... weak or somethin'?"

"'Course not, sugah. We know y'all are just as good as anyone here, Ah guess they just..."

"Just what?"

"Ah don't know, shug. Just wait it out, have some patience."

"Fine." I sighed, turning back to the window. I stared forlornly out, then abruptly stood up and strode out of the room. Eat. Check. Practice. Check. Meditate. Check.

I was free for the day, for the time being at least.

I went out to the back for some air, explored around the woods a bit, and hunted some. There wasn't really much to do, so I decided that maybe I should, dare I say it, _socialize_....

I sucked down my pride and went back to the mansion. I found that Jamie and Rahne were off in town, Tabitha, Kitty, and Amara were visiting the Brotherhood, and Hank was busy in his lab.

So that mainly left the boys. Joy.....

Well, hothead and icebutt were out. Kurt was locked in his room, as was Sam. I couldn't find anyone else, so that left the T.V.

I plopped myself in front of the big screen and watched it for about thirty seconds before giving up in boredom. I went to my room, slammed the door shut, and flopped on my bed. Nothing to do and no one to do it with...

I did some sit-ups, some push-up, some other sort of ups...

I was bored...

Still bored...

Mondo bored....

I stalked out of my room and walked down the hall, completely bored, hyper, and bored. Did I say bored already?

I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I slapped a note on the door saying I'd be out running for a while and to not worry, then I took off, shoe-less once more.

I passed through the gates without an issue, sped down the empty road, and turned into an empty field. I ran through the field, back and forth, back and forth, for the better part of an hour, then sped back to the mansion. I reached it an hour later.

My ears caught the tail-end of a conversation. "Ah don't know _where _she is, but Ah'm sure she's fahne, Bobby. Don't worry about it."

"I know, Rogue, I guess I just... don't like her alone out there. Ya know, with S.H.E.I.L.D and Stryker out there, and her without Logan or Laura."

I rolled my eyes and listened as Rogue walked off. I strode into the mansion and Bobby immediately fired off questions.

"Where have you been?"

"Out."

"Luna. Where. Have. You. Been."

I knew that tone and I _hated _it. "Look popsicle, you ain't my father, so don't try ta act like it. I don't answer ta you."

"I should think that I have a right to know where you've been, Luna!" he said.

I growled. "Back off, Bobby."

He stepped forward and I launched myself at him. It became a full-fledged fight. He yelled and almost iced me, but I dodged out of the way, came up behind him, and grabbed his arms. "Give. In." I hissed and he fell limp. I let go of him, expecting a sneak attack, and he did this actually really wicked sweep-kick with his legs. He knocked my legs out from under me and got on top of me, pinning me down. I kicked him off, then pinned _him_.

"Luna! Bobby! Stop it!" Rogue yelled and we continued our fight. Rogue physically picked us up and held us apart (this woman could pick up a car and _fly_). "Ah expected bettah from both of y'all!" she said, setting us on our feet.

"She started it." Bobby said.

"Did not!" I said and Bobby gave me a smirk.

I couldn't stop myself, I just wanted to _hurt _him. I screamed and launched myself, claws out, at Bobby. He shrieked and tried to ice a shield, but I was already on him, about to rip into him.

Rogue grabbed my arm and pulled me off him. "Don't make me do this, shug." she said, pulling one glove off.

I snarled and stared at the ungloved hand, slowly coming back to my senses. I shook my head and stepped back, eying her hand warily. "Ugh..." I said. I turned back to Bobby and sighed, shaking my head. "Sorry..." I said, hanging my head. "I... I mean, I just.... I need some air." I said, turning and running to the back door. I hightailed it out to the woods.

About ten minutes later, Rogue joined me. "Hey, shug." she said, sitting next to me on the soft ground. I wouldn't look at her.

"I'm sorry..." I said again, tears spilling down my cheeks. "I didn't mean to...."

"Ah know, shug. Ah know."

I got up angrily and punched at the tree. "Argh! Why can't I control this? Why do I feel like hurtin' everyone?!"

"Y'all just need ta learn some-"

"Don't say control." I ground out. "Watch this." I said and then showed her what my training had made me. What my training had allowed me to do.

Half an hour later and I was finally done flipping, kicking, punching, and in short obliterating the poor tree in front of me. "Ya see? I'm... I'm dangerous, Rogue."

"Not any more tatn Ah am, shug. You been dealt a nasty hand, sure, but at least y'all can get a hug, a kiss, a handshake."

"But Rogue, you don't try ta intentionally kill people every time ya get the chance, either."

"Come on, shug. I think we both need some meditation."

We both got into form and closed our eyes, remaining completely silent, completely still. An hour later, Rogue shook out of her trance and then I awoke from mine.

"Feel bettah?"

"Much." I said with a smile.

"Come on, shug. Let's go practice some. We need ta work some of that fury outta ya."

"Heeya!" I screamed, bringing my fist around Rogue's stomach. The jab awarded me a swift kick to the ribs and I quickly sprang back.

We fought hard for about two-three hours and the anger and resentment slowly worked itself out of my system. We finally stopped and I calmed enough to head back to the kitchen.

"Bobby, look, I'm real sorry about what I did." I said.

Bobby gave me a childish smile. "It's alright, Luna. We're good now." he said with a slight laugh.

I smiled. "You don't know how much that means ta me." I said softly.

******************************

An hour ago, Laura and the others finally showed up. They were told about the incident (Rogue had to) and Logan agreed to lead my meditation every morning and evening. Twice a day, seven days a week. Sounds like a trip.

******************************

I went on my first mission today!!!!!!

With a uniform!!!!!

The top was purple tiger print. There was a hood that came off (for colder climates; Canada anyone?).The bottoms were the exact same as the top, so when I put them together it looked like one outfit. There was a detachable tail on the back of the the pants. There was a belt with an X on it. There were matching gloves with fur at the cuffs, and a pair of stylish black combat boots, the kind that I could easily run in.

I donned my outfit and boarded the jet.... Sounds like some cheesy action movie, lemme try again.

I put on my uniform and got on the plane..... Sounds too..... Ah well, ya get the point.

So anyways, I'm on the "X-Jet" and we're headed to some warehouse were this huge drug smuggling supposedly gonna take place. We landed, got off, and crouched on a building and then just sat there for ten minutes.

Nothing happened.

Until, that is, some huge armored car showed up, guards started to randomly shoot at the roof, and someone grabbed me.

Confused yet?

Yes, yes, I got captured. Was it my fault? No... maybe.

I was bound, gagged, thrown over some smelly guy's shoulder, and tossed onto a chopper with a bunch of armed guards. Somebody put a blindfold on me, held some kind of foul chemical to my nose, and then all went black.

********************

You ever seen those action movies where the hero wakes up after they've been captured and drugged? What's the first thing they say?

"Where am I?"

So, that being the first stupid thing out of my mouth, I decided to shut up and _find out _where I was. I sat up and opened my eyes wide. My hands were bound behind my back, my throat felt like I'd been eating sand, and my head was pounding. I was lying on some dusty floor somewhere, my uniform was gone, I was stark-naked (embarrassing to say the least.... Also vaguely suspicious...), and I had no idea where I was.

I slowly wiggled my feet, testing for some sort of bond. There was none, so I stood up slowly. It was dark and there was something around my neck.

A collar.

Oh my goodness, they'd put a power-restricting collar on me! I wanted to howl in fury, but instead I simply flicked my tail and looked around carefully. No windows, one door, I was in a cell or cage of some sort. No chairs, no bed, and one single lightbulb waaaaay above my head.

Fabulous.

I examined the dirt and found that it was just that- dirt. Plain, ordinary dirt.

So, I was caught. I was caged. I wasn't chained, but my hands were bound. And I was thirsty. And alone. And miserable. And naked. And slightly freaked out. And-

Wait. Someone was coming in. Someone big. The door crashed open to reveal a HUGE muscled guard carrying a kicking Laura.

"Put me down!" she screamed and he obliged by tossing her in the cage with me.

"Here, freaks." the guard sneered, throwing in some ratty-looking clothes. He reluctantly untied my hands, whispering a few dirty things in my ears. I threw the clothes meant for me on to escape the roving glance of the guard and growled weakly at him. He tied my hands back together and again crooned dirty things at me.

"What's... a gal.... hafta do ta get... some water around this dump?" I wheezed and instantly regretted asking by the gleam in the guard's eye.

"You don't want to know, sweet thing. Ya don't want to know."

Sweet thing?!

I rolled my eyes and sat back on my haunches. "Hey Laura." I said nonchalantly as soon as the guard left.

"Don't 'Hey Laura' me." she snapped. "Help me figure out a way outta here!"

"Already checked. This place is tighter than a museum after lockdown at Area 51." I said. "Besisdes, they're watchin' us." I said, tilting my chin towards a security camera on the wall. It was locked on to us, daring us to try to escape.

"Great." she said in a huff. She was already dressed in street clothes.

"Mind at least helpin' me with these?" I said, motioning to my hands. She untied them and I noticed the collar around her neck. "You too huh?"

"Yeah. Bastards." she spat.

*****************************************

We were holed up together for..... two hours, maybe? They came by later, dropped some food and a small rag with some water, and then left. An hour later, they took the food and rag, whether we were done or not.

Two hours after that, they let us out for some exercise in a medium-sized run. High gates surrounded the enclosed space and we were (painfully) informed that our collars were shock collars, as well as power-restrictions.

"Why the hell do ya want us?" I spat at a guard and received a slap to the face for it. I bit back a growl and wiped the blood from my mouth.

"Insolence is not tolerated here." he said. He never answered my question.

******************************************

Two weeks. We've been in this slob-hole for two weeks. No one's tried to save us, no one's offered comfort. Laura just kinda mopes in the cell all day, offering no help, no encouragement. Not hat I can blame her, I mean, she fights every time the guards try to take blood from me.

I know what you're thinking 'Wait, what?' Hang on, let me backtrack.

About.... five days ago, some whitecoat guys came in with this really long needle. They drew blood (after a scuffle, of course) from me and Laura. Every hour on the hour after that, they drew more.

This went on for two days, then one of them informed us that Laura's blood wouldn't be needed, she was too wild and they didn't want to fight with her.

As if I were some trained kitty cat?!

So, for about.... a week now they'd been drawing blood from me every hour. It started too tire me out some, enough to the point that I can't hardly stand. Laura always tried to fight for me, but they always subdue her, mainly by shocking her painfully.

Caught up now? Good. Let's continue.

"Laura, what do ya think they're gonna do to us?" I whined. I was done being the strong one. I wanted to be the little nine-year-old for once, dangit, and I was gonna be one now!

"I don't know, Luna. Experiments, tests, mutations..." she said and I made a face.

"Wow yer a real help." I said dryly.

"Ya want help or truth? Look, I don't like it any more than yoou do." she said, not turning around to look at me.

"At least you.... Never mind...." I said quickly.

"At least I what?" she asked curiously.

"Don't worry about it." I said.

"LUNA!" she suddenly shouted, all control breaking. "Why do ya haveta mope around all the time, huh? Why can't ya be more.... oh I don't know? Like you were _trained _ta be!!!"

That hurt and I hardened my eyes. "Maybe because I don't want ta go back done that path!" I shouted back, standing up on shaky legs. My feet wouldn't go more than a foot apart, and even that was a stretch. They had bound my hands and feet both with chains.

"Why the heel NOT?" she screamed, lunging to her feet and preparing to leap at me.

"You _know _why!" I screamed, tears stinging my eyes. "Just... Just go AWAY! Leave me alone." I said, taking three steps away from her and then collapsing. I lay there, sobs wracking my body, the howls echoing against the dim room.

_Alone... Alone... Alone...._

_You're all alone.... alone.... alone...._

I don't know how long I lay there sobbing, the tears making mud around my face. _Great. Now I'm lying in mud. _I thought angrily.

Then. The mud was gone. In it's place was a soft lap. I sniffled and turned my head to look up and I met Laura's green gaze.

"I'm...." she started to say and I shushed her.

"I know." I said quietly. "I know. I didn't mean to yell at you either. I'm just sick of all this."

"Me too, but Luna, we _will _get out of here." she said, wiping the mud and tears off my face. I smiled.

"I know."

She held me for a little longer (they allowed her hands to be unbound, probably has something to do with turning us against each other. I don't know and I don't care.) and I slowly drifted off to sleep. The light flickered overhead once more before I finally shut my eyes to it and slowed my breathing, falling into a black sleep.

***********************************

As punishment for caring for one another last night, we received no food or water the next day. I screamed in frustration and threatened to kill every single person here and they just laughed and spit in my face.

I was woozy, weak from blood-loss, and losing hope that the X-Men would ever find us. I had blood drawn twenty-four times that day (night included), twenty-four times the next day, and twenty-four times the next day. The allowed me a one-week recover period, but that was all.

Exercise time was spent lying on the cell floor trying to get my energy back. I won't even _discuss _the "guard-given liberties" that these slobs had over me. Laura was never touched, I had made sure of that. I told them that they could have me all they wanted, so long as Laura never witnessed or heard about it and so long as she wasn't messed with.

They agreed all-too-eagerly.

Each night, Laura would let me use her lap as a pillow of sorts and I would always fall asleep first, waking only when I was forced to my feet and had my blood drawn. Then they would toss me back to the floor and leave, laughing and calling vile words behind them.

Two months.

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Where the devil a_re they_!!!!" Logan howled in frustration, slamming his fist into the wall.

"I'm sure that we will locate them, Logan. In the meantime-" The Professor launched into some boring information that I won't even try to tell you about.

Logan growled and stormed out. He had Fury and S.H.E.I.L.D helping him find his missing relatives, his missing _daughters_. No sane person would take something from the Wolverine, so obviously this guy was crazy. HYDRA was out, they already searched that place twenty times.

"We'll find ya. I promise."

*****************************************************

**Luna's POV**

"Please.... No more...." I begged. Yes, I was low enough to beg now. Pathetic, ain't it?

The blood was drawn anyways and I mentally slapped myself. _No weakness!! _I scolded myself. _I will be strong. _I vowed. _I will see this through. Logan, wherever you are, I will fight till you arrive. That's a promise._

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Short chapter, I know, I know...

Luna's stuff? Gone? Who took it? Will Luna find the culprit in time? Well, stay tuned and find out! XD

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;) Ideas also!

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	17. Never Give Up

Notes and Reviews:

Courtney Summers: Yeah, I like your ideas! :) Thanks for the encouragement too! You rock!!

zitikka: Thanks for the compliment and encouragement! This story is about finished, so I hope you stick with it 'til the end!!

Emma Rose: WOW!!! Hello mega-reviewer lol. Thnkas for the reviews, oh and Celeby is pronounced Cell-a-bee. Again, thanks! Enjoy the next chappie! :)

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

UPDATE!!!!! I've decided that there will be a total of... around 20 chappies! So, only..... 3 (I think) more to go!!

Oh, and there is also a poll on my profile. Vote please!!

Random quote: "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

"Get away from my sister!" Laura screamed, kicking a guard's legs out from under him. She was quickly restrained, however, and blood was drawn from me again.

Everyone left and I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. _Meditation does the mind good. Just meditate for awhile. Cleanse your mind, spirit, and heart._

I stayed like that for two days, and finally Laura followed suit.

********************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

"Where are they?!" the frustrated howl came again.

"Logan, they've been gone for almost three whole months now. Is it not possible that there is nothing to find?" Storm asked in concern for her friend and teammate.

"No, it ain't, Storm. I _will _find them." Logan vowed, getting on his motorcycle for the umpteenth time.

"For your sake, Logan, I hope so." Storm said quietly, watching him ride away.

*****************************

**Luna's POV**

"Laura? Laura, come on." I said, shaking Laura awake. I stood drunkenly on my feet and she shifted, mumbling something. I lost my balance and toppled over, landing on my already hurt and bruised side. I was bruised everywhere from.... let's just say from the beatings I sustained and leave it at that.

I struggled to my feet and gave up trying to wake Laura. I curled back asleep and softly sang to myself _"Come stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms __will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us, can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry. 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always."_

I finished my lament and fell asleep, wishing desperately that someone would save me from this nightmare.

***************************

Still no one. Where was Logan?

_He isn't coming._

_Yes, he is._

_Is not._

_Is so!_

I argued with myself and relaxed into meditation. I sent a mental cry out to the Professor for help, no matter how slim the chance. I fell back asleep after they drew my blood and they took all my blankets. Laura had one small one and wordlessly she handed it to me. I curled up beside her and we shared each other's body warmth and the tiny blanket.

What are sisters for?

************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

Professor Xavier looked up on alarm and hope from Cerebro, where he had been doing his daily sweep of the city. The cry had been faint, but he had a lock on it. _Logan. _He sent out, praying that the feral mutant had his shields lowered enough to hear his summons.

"What is it, Chuck?" Logan asked as he burst into the room.

"I believe we have found our MIAs." the Professor said, steepling his fingers together.

"Let's roll." Logan said, already rushing out. He glanced at the coordinates and took off in the X-Jet.

_I'm comin', kids. Hang on._

_Please, hang on._

Logan caught the two fat, wet tears that rolled down his cheeks. _Somethin' in my eye. _he lied to himself.

The jet came down quietly behind the warehouse and he crept stealthily out. Decapitating the two guards was easy and from there all he had to do was get to the control tower. Piece'a cake.

*******************************

**Laura's POV**

Luna looked pretty bad off. Her left eye was swollen near shut, her lip was cut and bleeding, and her right arm looked like it might have been fractured, if not broken, had it not been infused with the adamantium. Her right leg hung at an awkward angle, twisted out of place; it was likely dislocated. Severely dislocated. Same thing with her let arm.. She couldn't walk, let alone run, with her injuries. She was brave though, in some ways braver even than me. She struggled through all the torture they put her through; all the "tests." She sometimes woke up screaming, begging for her mama, and I would stroke her matted fur and tell her that she would be alright. I was lying to her, but I lied for a good reason.

She would whimper and shake beneath my hand, sometimes without even knowing she did. She would fall back asleep and I would comfort her.

The guard entered much later than normal one night. He grabbed my "sister" and dragged her out of the cell. She fought and I fought, but she was taken anyways. I faintly heard a scream and he dragged her back, all bloody and bruised and... _broken_. She was crying, sobbing, and he tossed her back into the cell like she was garbage.

"Are you alright?" I demanded.

"'Course." she croaked out, but I wasn't fooled one bit.

"What did he do to you?" I demanded, but she just shook her head and said nothing.

Now I lay here, wondering what will become of us, angry at the guards and angry at Luna for getting caught and angry with myself for not saving her on time. I was mad at Logan for not getting here by now, but that couldn't be helped.

Uh-oh, Luna's having a nightmare. Her body jumps and shakes when she has nightmares and she makes these tiny screams. I shook her gently, trying to wake her up, but she wouldn't. I had to watch her have the awful dreams and when she finally woke up, she woke up screaming. She looked wildly around, gave a sob, and laid back down, facing the door. She curled up and I placed her head in my lap; a small comfort in dark times.

"Shhh....." I soothed. She whimpers and shrinks in closer to me when the door opens. The giant guard that brought me here enters the room.

"Awww, the poor mutie." he croons sarcastically, unlocking the door and yanking Luna to her feet. She cried out in pain and supported herself on her one good leg. He slapped her for no reason and sneered at me. "Wish you could help your sister, dontcha bitch?" he sneered, slamming the door shut and dragging my sister off to whatever fresh torture they had cooked up next.

He threw her in an hour later, freshly battered. She managed to grin at me and she told me not too worry about her. God, she's so tough; a little fighter.

I tugged for the thousandth time at the collar around my neck and found that it still wouldn't give. Luna lat out a pained yell as hers activated and pumped ten thousand volts into her; punishment for my misdemeanor.

I quickly stopped.

Luna passed out and I kept watch, always listening, forever on the alert. They were not going to touch my sister again. Ever. I would make sure of it, even if I did so with my dying breath, with my final act.

That was a promise.

************************************

**Change in POV: third-person omniscient**

Logan was in. He crept stealthily along the corridor, pausing only to take down the next batch of guards. He had knocked out the security cameras and stolen the keys, all he needed to do was find the girls.

He found them all right. And when he did he let out the loudest, most enraged roar you could ever imagine hearing. I only pray that none of you, dear readers, _ever _have to hear that pained roar.

"Who did this to you?!!" he demanded, unlocking the door.

"What, no hello?" Laura muttered sarcastically. "We don't know." she added when she caught his unamused look.

"Wolvie?"

The tiny noise came from the corner, where Laura had dragged Luna after hearing the pounding footsteps. She had been crouched protectively over her, until she realized that the "guard" was Logan.

"I'm here, darlin'." Logan assured her softy, peering closer to get a better look.

_She looks awful. _he thought to himself. _I'm goin' ta murder whoever did this!!_

"Logan, she's really bad." Laura said as she gave him a rundown of her injuries. "Concussion, her left arm and right leg both have been severely dislocated, I thought I heard a couple of ribs crack (they would have broken if not for the adamantium), a couple of her nails have been snapped off, and her teeth were cracked and chipped. She's lost massive amounts of blood because they took it from her for some tests that they're running."

"Damn." Logan growled. "What about you?"

Laura shrugged. "I lost some blood, was hit a couple times, and was starved a bit. She's the worst off by far. Now let's get outta here! I want these collars off!"

Logan nodded and clicked a button on a remote. Laura's collar fell off and she kicked it away in disgust. Within seconds, her wounds disappeared.

"What about her?" Laura demanded as Logan pocketed the remote.

Logan sighed. "We can't. Not without compromisin' her at the moment."

Laura nodded and wordlessly Logan picked Luna up. She groaned and he and Laura began to run out of the building. Logan tried not to jostle his passenger too much, but the ride was nonetheless a bumpy one.

"Almost there." he grunted. The X-Jet was in plain view.... Just a little farther....

Somebody open-fired on them. They dove to the ground and Logan propped Luna up under some sheltered oaks. "Stay here." he told her.

"Duh." she said and he smirked, ruffled her fur, and turned to Laura. She nodded wordlessly and as one they leaped out and drew their claws.

"There's about two hundred of 'em." Laura growled.

"Easy pickins." Logan agreed and they sprang.

The gunmen fired again and a spray of bullets almost hit Logan. He roared and slashed through two soldier's chests at once. Laura followed suit and soon they had a sea of bodies around them. There was only one left. The giant that had caused them so much pain.

"Bastard!" Laura shouted, leaping forward. "This is for my sister!!" she screamed, slashing him across the cheek. He backhanded her to the ground with little effort and planted a foot on her chest.

"Not so tough now, are you bitch?" he chuckled darkly.

"Hey, tough guy. Didn't yer mother ever tell ya not ta pick on girls?" Logan said and the guard sneered.

"My mama didn't tell me nothin'." he said as he delivered a vicious dragon punch to Logan's skull. Something went crunch and Logan fell to the ground. He wasn't unconscious, just..... disoriented.

"NOOOOO!!!!!" came a wild cry and the guard looked up in time to see Luna, against all odds, running towards him. She slammed into him and knocked him into a wall. "Get. Away. From. My. Family!" she screamed, punctuating each word with a blow. She popped her claws, a wild light in her eyes, and rammed them straight into the guard's throat. She punctured his trachea and he gasped for breath, floundering on the ground. He died of suffocation, and Luna kicked the dead body in anger and hatred. She suddenly collapsed and rolled against Logan.

"That's.... twice.... I've saved..... yer sorry hide...." she gasped with a pained grin.

A smile played on his lips as he picked her up. "So it is. So it is." he said, and he gathered his family to him.

_"Let's go home."_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;)

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	18. Home and Mission

Notes and Reviews:

Emma Rose: Yeah, only three more.... Sigh....

Fan of Luna's Story: lol, awesome name! Thanks for the compliment, I'll try not to disappoint.

Courtney Summers: Here's the next update. Yeah, only three more.... It was getting kinda difficult trying to think up new ideas..... Anyways, hope you enjoy the next update!

Miz: Hey! Welcome back! Ouch, sorry about your aunt... Fangirls unite!! Again, this is me being an idiot..... Here's the next chappie!

zitikka: Thanks! The end is in sight! Stay tuned!

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

UPDATE!!!!! I've decided that there will be a total of... around 20 chappies! So, only..... 3 (I think) more to go!!

Oh, and there is also a poll on my profile. Vote please!!

Random quote: "Home is where the heart is."

-unknown

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

Home. The word never sounded so good. I drifted in and out of unconsciousness as we flew home. We finally arrived and Logan rushed us inside.

"Hank!!" he yelled.

"Yes, Loga- Infirmary. Now." the large man said immediately upon seeing my condition. I was rushed down there and set on a bed. Laura rattled off what was wrong with me and Hank ran an X-ray and CAT Scan.

"Yes. The arm and leg definitely need to be administered to. Her concussion should be fine once her healing factor kicks in. However, I think a blood transfusion is in order if she is to heal correctly. But where would we get a donor of her unique blood type?"

"Duh." was the prompt reply and Hank looked down.

"'Duh' indeed." he said with a smile. "Now then, Logan, Laura, if you would both kindly lie down on the beds on either side of Luna." His instructions were followed. "Now, this may hurt a little but-"

"Get on with it furry-butt." Laura growled and Hank inserted a needle into her arm. He did the same with Logan's.

"Now, Luna will not require-"

"Hank."

The growl was quiet and full of warning and Hank quickly shut up. He flipped a switched, pressed a few buttons, and twisted a few dials. "Blood transfusion commencing." said a robotic voice and the red liquid swirled out of Logan and Laura's tubes. They entered directly into my body via connecting tubes and needles and the process was complete in less than two minutes. Hank shut the machine off and hooked me up to an IV, a heart monitor, and a breathing monitor.

"Is she gonna make it?" Laura asked.

Hank nodded. "Yes, I believe she will. We must get this collar off her, however." he said, preparing to grab it in his hairy paws.

"No, wait! Don't!!" Laura screamed, but the warning was too late. The moment Hank's hands made contact, the collar sent ten thousand volts coursing through me. I screamed in agony and writhed violently from the pain.

The pain stopped ten minutes later and I gasped in relief. "Don't do that again." I gasped quickly.

"I apologize deeply, Luna. I had no idea that-"

Logan rolled his eyes and clicked a button on the swiped remote. The collar fell off and Hank disposed of it. The wounds slowly started to heal, starting with my black eye and working steadily downwards. My nails grew back, my fangs sharpened, my lip healed.

My senses slowly became acute once more and I faintly detected breathing. Childlike. Slightly strained. I smelled a deep sadness and also a very familiar scent...

No....

"Celeby?" I croaked, sitting up. In the bed furthest from the door, huddled into a small, broken ball, was my angel.

"Celeby!" I shouted, overjoyed that she had come back. Then I put two and two together and quickly became angry.

"I'll kill her!!" I roared, struggling to get up. Logan and Laura quickly restrained me and Hank looked worriedly at me. The heart monitor beeped in distress and I snarled at it. "Let me up! Let me go, Celeby needs me!"

The form looked up and I detected sniffling. "Tigey?" a feather-light whisper fell upon my ears.

"Yeah, Pixie. It's me." I called. She slowly got up and walked over to me. She stayed in the shadows where I could hardly see her and I motioned her eagerly forward.

"Come here, hon. I won't bite. Come closer, kid." I said.

She did and I nearly lost it right there. She was thin and gaunt. Her cheek and hip bones jutted out and she was thin as a stick. (So was I, but I wasn't concerned about that.) Bruises covered her body and both her eyes were blackened. Cuts covered her, like a knife had been drawn across her perfect face. I howled in anger and again fought to get up. "Who did this to you?" I demanded.

"My... My... My mama!" Celeby sobbed, throwing herself at me. "Oh, tigey, you were wight! She's an awful wady, tigey an' I should have wistened ta you!" she howled.

"Shhh..... It'll be alright. Yer among family now and we won't let ya go back ta that place no matter what." I vowed.

"She.... She.... She was n-n-nice at f-f-f-irst, but then she started ta dwink this weally nasty stuff. She called it "beewr" and after she dwank lots of it, she would hit me. When she dwank a lot-a-lot of it, she taked this knife and cut me wif it!" Celcby sobbed into my shoulder.

I growled low in my chest. "_No one _messes with my Pixie." I growled. "Hon, I'll take care of her, ya got that? She'll pay." My eyes glinted as I considered multiple ways of making her life a living hell.

"Tigey, what happened to ya? You wook awfuwl..." Celeby said.

"I'll be fine, Pix. You just worry about you, k?"

She hugged me around the neck. "Tigey, I missed you."

"I missed ya too, kid. I really did...." I began to feel drowsy from her powers and I fell asleep, dreaming of how to get back at the woman who had caused my angel pain.

*******************************

The next morning, I woke up completely healed and charged up. I swung out of bed, leaped to the kitchen, and zapped Celeby secretly with some healing power. It sealed up some of her face and I guided it to her arms.

I was gone before she even realized it.

Throughout the day, I secretly zapped Celeby with my healing power, eating and resting in-between zaps. I kept at it for three days and was always in bed at night when she tried to catch me up.

"Tigey?" she said, rubbing her eyes one night. She was in her faded nightgown and she looked sleepily into my room.

"Yeah, Pix?" I said from my bed. She crawled over to me and looked at the bed.

"Can I sweep wis' you?" she asked, already climbing into the bed. I smiled.

"Yeah, sure kid. Come here." I said. I hugged her tight as she drifted off, a smile on her face. She was healing.

And so was I.

************************************

When I woke up the next morning, Celeby was gone. She had gone sometime that morning; her side was still warm.

I climbed out of bed and dressed, then quietly went downstairs for some breakfast. No one else was up yet. Celeby was in the kitchen, alone.

"Hi, tigey." she said when I sat down next to her.

"Hey, Pixie." I said with a smile. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just sittin'." she said. "Tigey, why do people huwt each other?"

"I don't know, Pixie. Maybe that's all they know." I said quietly, thinking back to my lab days and to the brief encounter with my father.

"Tigey? Why did your daddy leave?"

"I... I don't know, Pix." I said, swallowing a lump in my throat. "I wish I knew...."

"It wasn't your fault, tigey." she said suddenly, looking at me. She put a small hand to my cheek and gently rubbed my jaw. "It wasn't your fault..." she said again, quietly this time. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against my jaw.

"I.... I'm not so sure...." I said in a whisper, a single tear falling down my cheek. It landed in Celeby's hair and she turned her serene face to meet mine.

"It's not your fault, tigey." she said again. "Don't you ever let anyone tell you it was."

I nodded and smiled. "Come here, kid." I said, pulling her into my lap. I softly began to sing and rock her.

"_I__ will be here, don't you cry. 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always."_

Celeby snuggled closer to me and pressed her head into my chest.

"I love you, tigey." I heard her whisper.

"I love you, too. I love you, too." I said, brushing the hair from her face.

My angel.

I love you.

***************************

_"Bitch!" the man growled, backhanding me across the mouth._

_"Don't hurt me again!" I begged, fear and tears in my eyes._

_"I'll do whatever I damn well please!" he yelled, slapping me again._

_"No! Please!"_

I sat up with a yell, muffled by the pillow I had in a death-grip. Logan and Laura obviously heard it, and so did Celeby.

_'No, idiot. She got the same dream.'_

"Shit." I muttered, crawling out of bed. I looked at the protective bunch in front of me and then to the ground.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"It's alright." Logan said, cupping my chin in his hand. He gently forced me to look at him. "It's O.K., ya hear me?"

"Yeah..." I said softly, crawling back into bed. "Go on back ta bed, Pix." I said.

"But...." she started to protest, but then turned around and went obediently back to her room.

"What was it?" Laura asked.

"It was that place again." I said quietly. I hugged my knees to my chest and looked across to Logan.

He let out a slow breath and took me in his arms. He motioned for Laura to join us and she sat on the other side of him. He pulled her into the hug.

"They won't get either one of ya again so long as _I'm _here, got it?" he said sternly, yet at the same time gently.

We both nodded and he rocked us slowly. "They won't take ya from me again..."

****************************

I woke up, still curled to Logan's side. Laura was still there as well.

"Wolvie?" I murmured sleepily.

"Hmmm?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, darlin'." he said, kissing me lightly on the head. Laura stirred and he kissed her head too, then we all got up and they left. I got dressed in some pants and a shirt, ate some breakfast, and skulked around in the woods for awhile. Celeby was in town with some of the girls and they were spending the next few night at a friend's house in the city.

I froze when I heard a twig snap. "Ah, Luna. There you are. The Professor wants to see you." Scott said kindly, holding a hand out for me to take. I took it and he led me to the Professor's study.

"Ah, Luna." the Professor said as I walked into the plush office. I stayed standing, unconsciously strict, and eyes him warily. "I have decided to allow you to join the main team. Welcome to the X-Men." he said.

My mouth tumbled open. "You... You.... Jo-Joi-Join the X-Men?!" I finally managed. "REALLY!?!?!?!?"

"Of course." he said simply, a small smile appearing on his face. "We have made you a new uniform, all you need is a codename."

"Tigress." I said immediately, glancing down at my dogtag.

He nodded. "Very well then. Welcome to the team, Tigress."

*****************************

There it was. Hanging up in all its glory.

My new uniform!

It was exactly the same, exactly the right size, and just begging to be broken in.

Scott poked his head in the doorway. "Luna? Suit up. Mission in five." he said and I grinned.

"K." I said shortly, zipping into the bathroom. I changed and boarded the X-Jet/Blackbird plane... thing.

My first mission!

_Finally._

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Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;)

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	19. My Angel

Notes and Reviews:

Fan of Luna's Story: Sabretooth left because: 1. He's a bad guy anyways and has to be portrayed as such, 2. He doesn't want to be tied down with "some kid," and 3. I couldn't find a spot for him anyways! :)

Emma Rose: Yeah, 'tis almost over, but alas, all good things must come to an end... Glad you enjoyed it though!

Courtney Summers: Not so sure about a sequel.... *looks down at full schedule* sorry.... I _will _however post a new story fairly soon. What is it, you ask? Well, I can't tell you ;) It's a surprise! Anyways, Laura's 12, has black, medium-length shiny black hair, green eyes, and is about two inches shorter than Logan (it sounded good, so I threw that in there, lol).

narnia-aslan: Yeah, I couldn't just leave Celeby at that awful place ;)

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

UPDATE!!!!! I've decided that there will be a total of... around 20 chappies! So, only..... 2 (I think) more to go!!

Oh, and there is also a poll on my profile. Vote please!!

Three quotes this time; I couldn't decide!!

Random quote: "There are no hopeless situations, only people who are hopeless about them."  
_-- Dinah Shore, Winfried Newman._

_"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope."  
__--__ Martin Luther King, Jr._

Don't lose hope. When it gets darkest the stars come out."  
_-- Unknown._

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

We landed and I got out. There were only three; me, Nightcrawler, and Cyclops. The others were either busy with something else, or in town with Celeby.

"Ready?" Nightcrawler asked with a fanged grin and I smirked.

"Oh yeah."

"Good, because here comes the target." Cyclops said suddenly, pointing to a robbery. Masked thieves were looting the store, about six of them. "Luna, you take the two at the rear, Nightcrawler, you get the two in the middle. I'll handle the two in the front." he said. "And don't kill anyone." he added as an afterthought. It was aimed at me.

"Got it." I said and we moved. "HAH!!" I said, snapping the first thief's arm as he pulled a gun. The other two X-Men followed suit, disarming and fighting the thugs.

"Stay back." I growled, showing my fangs. The second, younger thief shrank back against the wall and glanced down at the gun at his feet.

"Don't." I growled shortly, catching his glance. He took a deep breath, looked skyward and mumbled something, then dated forward, grabbed the gun, and cocked the hammer back.

"S-S-Stay th-th-there." he stammered, aiming the gun at me. The fighting around us stopped.

"Don't." I said again calmly. "Ya don't wanna do this. Put the gun down and we'll talk."I was struggling against my instincts.

"Don't tell me what to do!" the man shouted, pulling the trigger. The bullet slammed into my shoulder and spun me around completely. I fell to the ground.

"Luna!" Cyclops yelled, but I was already on my feet. I spat out blood; I had bitten my tongue.

"Strike one, buddy." I growled. "Ya wanna make it three?"

He stammered something and slammed another bullet into my other shoulder. He foolishly grabbed my arm and spun me to him, catching me in a headlock. "don't c-c-come any closer." he said, his voice shaking.

"Strike two and three. Yer out." I snarled.

"Shut up you!" he said, cocky now that he had a "captive." Captive my eye.

"Oh, goin' fer a new record are we?" I said mildly. "I ain't never heard of four strikes in a ballgame."

"Do you ever shut up?" the man yelled.

"Yeah. But not when I'm distractin' a stupid robber." I said with a smirk. Cyclops fired a shot, hit the man's gin hand, and Nightcrawler tossed it away. I sank my nails into the man's leg. He yelled in pain and let go and I knocked him out with a fierce uppercut.

"Tried ta give ya a chance." I said, shaking my head. I examined my shoulders. The bullets were almost out due to my healing factor, though it still hurt to move them. I sighed and jerked my head at the six unconscious men. "What're we gonna do with them?"

"The cops'll get 'em." Cyclops said.

"Ja, let's get you home so Hank can check your shoulders." Nightcrawler said, teleporting the three of us all back to the jet.

I settled into my seat and closed my eyes, keeping my breathing even. There was a small _clink _as one bullet was lodged out, then another _clink _follwed.

"Mmmmmmm....." I said, breathing through the pain. I pressed my lips together and exhaled slowly. "They're out." I said when the pain passed.

"How're your shoulders doin'?" Cyclops asked and I rolled my head to look at him.

"Still hurt, both of 'em." I reported. "Probably will fer the next coupla days."

The rest of the ride home was silent and I was glad for the solitude.

**********************

"We're back!" Scott called as soon as we walked into the mansion.

"And Luna's been shot!" Kurt added.

I scowled. "Yell a little louder, Kurt. I'm sure they didn't hear you in TOPEKA!"

Kurt grinned and and I rotated my shoulders. There was a sharp _crack_ and he winced.

"That sounded painful."

"You have no idea." I said as I went upstairs. I laid down and fell asleep, unconscious before I even hit the pillow.

****************************

A week later, the front door banged open and I heard a familiar voice holler "TIGEY!! We're baaaaaa-aaaack!!" Celeby appeared in the living room and I tackled her into a hug.

"Hey Pix." I said, tickling her ribs.

"Tigey!" she squealed, laughing. "Tigey, they had horses! Weal, wive horses! And I wided one!" she said excitedly once I let her up.

"Really? That's great, Pixie." I said. "Did ya get in any trouble?"

"'Course not. I was weal good." she said.

"Uh-huh." I said. "Suuuure ya were." I flashed a grin and she stomped her foot.

"I was, tigey! You can ask Kitty or Rahne! I was weally, weally goood!"

I laughed. "Calm down, kiddo. I was just kiddin' ya." I scooped her up and dumped her on the couch.

"So, what did you do?" she asked after a minute of silence.

"Went on some missions, hung around here. Not much." I replied offhandedly.

Her eyes widened. "You went on missions? Weally?"

"Yep." I said. "Got a new uniform and codename, too."

"What's your codename?" she asked, hanging on my every word.

"Tigress."

"Wicked." she said with a grin. "So, you're an X-Man now?"

"Kinda, yeah." I said, flipping the T.V. on. We were silent as some dumb cartoon came on.

"Tigey?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you weally all bettewr fwom those bad people huwrting you?"

I looked off into the distance. "I don't know, Pix. I don't know."

She wrapped me in a hug. "I make you all bettewr, tigey." she said, squeezing me tighter.

I smiled and zapped her with some healing power. "I'll help ya, too, Pix." I said in her ear and she snuggled in closer.

We stayed like that for the rest of the day, me zapping her every few moments, her holding me for all she was worth.

******************************

I shot out of bed again for the third night in a row that week. The nightmares were back, and they were getting worse. I could hear Celeby crying in her room, right across the hall from mine, and I winced.

"Not again." I muttered, running my fingers through my fur. I quietly stalked over there, grabbed her, and carried her to my room, hugging her tight and stroking her hair. I was causing the poor kid nightmares and I didn't even mean to...

"Pixie, I'm sorry." I said, holding her close. "Shhhh, calm down, baby. I'm here, I'm sorry...." I said, soothingly. I calmed her down and she looked at me.

"They were awful, tigey." she whispered.

"Yeah, hon. I know, I know." I rocked her gently and she fell asleep again, clinging tightly to me. I stayed awake for the rest of the night, not daring to fall asleep.

"I'm sorry...." I whispered.

I'm so sorry.....

***************************

When I woke up the next morning, Celeby was gone. Her side was still warm, though she had only gotten up just recently. I dressed and went to the kitchen.

There she was, eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes and bouncing in her chair. "Hey tigey." she said with her mouth full.

"Hey Pix." I said, ruffling her hair. Everyone shuffled in, rubbing at eyes or smoothing their clothes absently.

I smiled and sat down in a chair between Logan and Laura, across from Celeby. I grabbed some Frosted Flakes and poured some, then dumped some sugar in and chopped up a banana to add to it.

After breakfast, Celeby and I went out to the woods. The wolves left us alone and I showed Celeby how to catch a rabbit. I snuck up on it, waited, and pounced. I held it carefully in my jaws and showed her.

Tears came to her eyes as she looked at the helpless animal. "Put it down, tigey. Please." she said. "I can feel it, tigey. It's scawed and just wants to live. Please let it go."

I looked at the child and let the rabbit go. It bounded away, stopped, turned, wiggled its nose at Celeby, and then leaped away again.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my fur. "Kid, that was my lunch." I said. "I need meat, ya know."

"I know, tigey." she said. "But I could feel its feawr. I can feel your feawr too, at night." she added timidly, looking at my face for any signs of anger.

Rage flashed on my face before I calmed down. "Pixie, I...."

"It's O.K., tigey." she said, cutting me off. "It's O.K."

I smiled and picked her up. "Come on, kid. Let's get you to the Professor. He'll help ya work on yer invisibility and empathy powers."

Celeby giggled and we headed up to the Professor's office. I knocked and entered.

"Aw, Luna. Celeby. Come in." he said. "What can I do for you?"

"I think that it's time fer Celeby ta continue her trainin'." I said, cutting to the chase. "At least her empath trainin'. She has...." I faltered and Celeby jumped in.

"I have scawy dweams. Tigey's dweams." she said.

The Professor nodded. "All right then. Let's see what we can do. It seems that the problem is the bond that you two seem to share. Maybe once we work on that, the nightmares will stop, hmmm?"

I shrugged. "Worth a shot."

"Indeed. Now, Luna, I need you to concentrate on one emotion only, please. A strong emotion. Do you have it? Good. Now, Celeby, can you tel me, please, what that emotion is?"

Celeby concentrated and smiled. "Tigey's feelin'..... happy." she said confidently.

I nodded. I was concentrating on the feeling I get when I know Celeby is safe. Happiness, contentment, whatever ya wanna call it.

"Good. Now, I want you to work on spreading that feeling around the room. Whenever you are ready."

Celeby concentrated hard on the task. She frowned and her lip pouted and her fists balled up. Ten minutes later, she sighed.

"I can't do it." she said sadly.

"That's alright. You'll get it." the Professor encouraged. "It's only your first session back, anyways. Now, let's work on your invisibility, shall we?"

Celeby brightened. "I can do that!" she chirped happily. She turned invisible, held it for two minutes, then shimmered back into view. She looked tired, though, and pale.

"How do you feel?" the Professor asked worriedly.

"Just... a bit tired, that's all." Celeby said. I picked her up and she leaned her head on my chest.

"Alright then. We are done for today, then." he said and we left.

"Ya did good, kiddo." I said and Celeby grinned.

"Thanks, tigey."

"No prob."

"Tigey?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did your daddy leave?"

"Ya know, I just don't know, Pix. And frankly, I don't care. He's gone and can't hurt me anymore and that's all that matters. And as fer yer mum...." I growled. "I hate ta say it, but I can't do a dang thing about it. I'm sorry, hon."

"That's alwight, tigey. It's not youwr fault. Don't wowwy tigey. Don't wowwy."

I smiled and looked at Celeby. "Alright, kid. I have you and Logan and Laura. I don't need my dad and you don't need yer mama. Right?"

"Right!" Celeby said happily and I smiled.

"Good."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Input is always appreciate as are reviews! ;)

Hope y'all are enjoying the story!

Once again, _**THREE**_ reviews if y'all want the next chapter. I need feedback!

Rant is over, again please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


	20. My Final Thoughts

Notes and Reviews:

narnia-aslan: So glad you reviewed! Here's the last and final chapter of Luna's Story!! Hope you enjoy!

Courtney Summers: Aw, now I feel bad... :(.... Not a very long chapter, just a little something to tie up some loose ends, if you will....

Emma Rose: Again, sorry.... Just a filler of sorts...

Fan of Luna's Story: Glad you liked it, hope this final chapter doesn't disappoint.

zitika: Yeah, I really liked Celeby too! Thanks for sticking with me, glad you enjoyed the story!

Again, ideas, reviews, and comments, always, are accepted and welcomed. Thanks again!

UPDATE!!!!! I've decided that there will be a total of... around 20 chappies! So, only..... 1 (this one) more to go!!

Oh, and there is also a poll on my profile. Vote please!!

Random quote: Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.

~Richard Bach

Disclaimer: I own nothing you know of from hit series/other commercial things (songs, characters, X-Men, etc.)... If I did, this wouldn't be FANFICTION, now would it? I thought not.

AND NOW....

On to Luna!

***************************

**Two months later**

Celeby continued to work with the Professor on her invisibility and empathy. She's actually getting to be pretty good.

I continue to train with the X-Men, improving a little every time. Logan and Laura help me through the nights when I have a lapse and nightmare, but I am getting better. Tempers still run high, but we're working on that.

Students have come and gone, though the ones that I first met have stayed with us so far. Jubilee is still fun and spontaneous, Hank is still a modern Shakespeare, Angel's still the sweet, rich guy that I know and love. Scott and Jean are still dating, but they're more open about it.

HYDRA, S.H.E.I.L.D, Stryker, and some other organizations are still after me, but so far they haven't caught me again. I've been working on my animal transformations and have just about mastered them. I supposedly start school in the next two months, but we'll see how _that _goes.

All in all, my experiences with the X-Men have been life changing. I've made new friends, gained a home, and found people to love. Jamie, Kitty, even John and Bobby, they have all become my family.

Family. It's funny, but until a short while ago, I was convinced that I would never even _have _a family. No one would want me, the freak. But I _did _find one. Against all odds, I found happiness and people who love me _for _me.

Listen to me, being all philosophical. But it's true. I can think of no other way to close this account then with the following words: The people here at this school were all family now.

I protected my family, and they protected me.

That's what families do. They look out for each other, they care for each other. And they support each other.

Families care.

Luna out.

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And that's the end of our story, folks! I love you all! Special thanks to all my reviewers, y'all are AWESOME!!!!!

Hope y'all enjoyed the story!

Reviews are appreciated, thank you.

Please R&R... Thanks!

-12kirby12


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